Lightning Heart
by Lady-Nova
Summary: An old friend comes back into Matt's life with some problems that are left unmention between the two. Matt feels that what he had before*when he was younger* still burned brightly for her...Will he express it to her? Find out the shocking ending to this a
1. Part I

I do not own any of the Digimon characters and I want to spend my lifetimes loving you was sang by Tina Arena and Marc Anthony. I did not make up those lyrics. It's gotta be Me was used for NSYNC...ugh. That's all!  
  
"Hey, Matt. I think that we should tell some stories...Do you wanna pick the topic?" Darien began as he popped in some popcorn in his mouth.   
"I could care less what the topic would be." Matt replied casually, playing with some cards.   
"I know!" Tony said, snapping his fingers. "Our first loves and how it ended!"  
"First love?" Matt asked.  
"Yeah, Matt. Hasn't the cool guy with a ton of girls on him ever fallen in love?" Tony asked. Matt was silent.  
"Knock it off, guys." Tai said. "Matt had a first love, but he doesn't want to talk about it."  
"No, it's okay...I think I feel better when I tell people...."Matt said.   
"My first love was a girl named Lina...Oh man, she was FINE! It was too bad that we broke up because of that other guy named Scott....He stole my girl!!" Tony scolded, while his hands clamped up. No one paid attention to him and turned back to Matt.  
"Do you wanna go first, Matt?" Darien asked.  
"I guess....Let's see....It's been almost ten years since IT happened....Where do I start..?" Matt thought aloud.  
~*~*~*~*~*Past: Year-2000~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Now Matt," Matt's father began. "I'll be leaving here for a couple weeks to go to America for an important business trip. I'm going to leave you in charge of the apartment and T.K until I get back. Understand?"  
"Dad, why are you leaving again? You just got back." Matt asked.  
"I know, son, but this is really something that the company needs me to take care of. You and T.K are going to have so much fun that you won't even know that I was gone."  
"Right, fun..." Matt sighed.  
"And remember....NO parties and NO girls. Got it?"  
"Yeah, gotcha. No parties and no girls."  
"I'll see ya around, Matt." His father said as he picked up his suitcase and walked out the door. Matt slouched down in his seat. What am I supposed to do now? He thought. Maybe I'll go take a shower or something to cool myself off. I'm beat. When he got in the shower he was just thinking. Suddenly, a flashback occured through his mind. It was when he was about seven years old and he was just playing around, making jokes with this little girl.  
"Oh, Matt...!" A girl giggled. "You're so funny!"  
"Oh yeah? If you thought that was funny, then check this out!" He said as he made odd faces that made the little girl roll with laughter.   
"You're a silly-willy, Matt!" She laughed. He then returned to the present with a startle.  
"Huh....? What was that?" He exclaimed softly. He thought of the little girl. She was his only friend at the time. I remember, Matt thought to himself. I remember that I was the only one who could make her laugh...but, now, she's gone...ohhh.....I wonder what she's doing now....  
~*~*~*~*~*At an airport lounge*~*~*~*~*~  
A girl was just walking off her plane with a big bag on her shoulder. She looked around and smiled. It feels good to be back again, She thought. She looked down at her locket and opened it up to find a small picture. Oh, Matt....I can't wait to see you again...I hope that he hasn't forgotten me. The girl took a deep breath and left the airport.  
~*~*~*~*~*Present: Year- 2010~*~*~*~*~  
"What was this girls' name?" Darien asked.  
"...Dawn."  
"So was your first loves' name Dawn?" Tony asked, interrupting.  
"Yeah." Matt replied.  
"They were kinda like sweethearts..." Tai grinned.  
"You could say that...Now where was I? Oh yes..."   
~*~*~*~*~*Past: Year-2000 At Tai's house~*~*~*~*~*~  
"You make me so mad, T.F! Why did you do that?!" Davis shouted angrily  
"Do what?? I didn't do anything! And my name isn't T.F. It's T.K!" T.K said.  
"I don't care how you say it! You're the one who took my goggles!"  
"Now why would I do that?!"   
"Will you both settle down? You argue over the stupidest things in the world!" Yolei explained.  
"Yoleis' right. You both better cool off." Tai said. The two turned their backs on each other. "Besides, Davis, you better look before you accuse." He reached into Davis' pocket and pulled out his goggles. He began to blush, feeling really stupid.  
"Ooops...Ho, how did they get in there?" Davis stuttered.  
"Wanna say you're sorry?" Sora asked.  
"Never! I still think he's a lying, back-stabbing jerk!" Davis exclaimed. T.K shook his head in disbelief and then turned to Tai. "Are we ready to go to the DigiWorld?"  
"Yeah. We have to go scout the area and destroys some dark spires."  
"I wanna get the first one in!" Davis said.  
"Do you think that Matts' gonna come?" Kari asked.  
"Not this time. I think he's too busy at the moment. He said, If I can recall, that he had a practice tonight and he needed to prepare himself."  
"Probably with using a lot of gel on his head of hair...With his, it could take hours." Tai laughed.  
"Yeah..." T.K said, chuckling.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*Meanwhile~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Okay, let's try it again..." Justin began. He clamped his sticks together for a count and then they started to play their instraments. Matt carefully played his guitar and began singing "You might been hurt, babe, that ain't no lieee...You seen them all come and goo....ohohohhh...And remember you mei, that made you believe in no man no cry, so just tell me why...Every little thing I do, never seems enough for you, you don't want lose it again, but I'm not like them. Maybe when you finally, get to love somebody...guess what...it's gonna be Dawn..."  
"Stop! Stop!" Justin said and everyone stopped playing their instraments. "Dude, Matt. You did it again."  
"Did what?"  
"You Said 'It's gonna be Dawn'. It's supposed to be sang, 'It's gonna be ME'! We've gone throught this already about five or six times, Matt. C'mon. Get it right."  
"Sorry, Justin. I'm just not in my right mind at the moment." Matt replied.  
"Matt...Is there some girl that you know that's on your mind consistanltly?"  
"Well...kinda."  
"Would her name happen to be Dawn...?"  
"Yeah...."  
"Well, don't think about her. Girls cause nothing but trouble in the brain and causes you not being able to play AND you start mumbling stupid things. Try not to think about her and concentrate on the notes, okay?"  
"Yeah. Sure thing, Justin..." Matt said putting his guitar strap back onto his shoulder. How can I stop thinking about her? Matt asked himself. It's like all of a sudden, my feelings have gotten stronger on her when I thought I put it behind me....I wonder why. It just doesn't seem like me to be doing this.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*Meanwhile~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"I better get going. Matts' probably going to be ordering pizza and I said this time I would pay for it." T.K said, after teleporting back into the real world and getting his jacket.  
"All right, T.K. I'll see ya around." Tai replied.  
"Bye, T.K!" Kari called to him as he walked out and he waved goodbye to her. T.K walked home and when he got in the door, he found no one in the house. That's strange, he thought.  
"Maaaatt!" He called out.  
"Yeah?" A voice answered. T.K sighed in relief.  
"Where are you?"   
"In the bathroom..." Matt replied as he came out. "All right, T.K. What do you want for tonight? We can order pizza, I can cook something..."  
"Let's just order some pizza. I want half of it to be...."   
"I know, I know. Don't worry." Matt smiled. He picked up the phone and dialed. "Yes? Pizza House? Yeah, I'd like a extra-large pizza with have of the side with pepporonis' and mushrooms and the other just plain. Address? Two-two-five-zero Angelius Drive. Okay....it should be here soon? Great." Matt said and hung up and there was a knock on the door.  
"Whoa. That was quick. Remind me to order from this place more often." Matt said. He walked over to the door and opened it. There, in front of him was a girl smiling. Matt stepped back in surprise.  
"Matt....So we meet again." She said.  
"D, Dawn!" He gasped. T.K walked over to the door and looked to see who it was.  
"Matt, what's wrong? Did the pizza come?" T.K asked. He then saw Dawn and was looking at her at amzement."Dawn! Long time no see!"  
"It's you....it really is you...." Matt said, still shaken over the idea. "Yeah, it's me." Dawn replied silently. Matt let her in and she slowly walked in, still feeling a bit of uncomfort. He helped Dawn with her bag and set it down. Matt then turned to T.K.  
"T.K....I'm going to my room with Dawn to talk. I don't want any disturbance..." Matt explained. T.K nodded his head slowly and Matt showed Dawn to his room. She walked in, with Matt closing the door after them. Dawn looked at the room and stared.  
"You're room looks very nice." She started. "Very different from the last time I saw it." Matt circled her, looking at her with just pure amazement. He studied her face very carefully, while she looked at him in confusion as to what he was doing.  
"You can't be her...It seems too good to be true. You just can't be... I thought you died a long time ago...well, at least her heart for that matter." Matt said, sitting on the side of his bed and burying his face in his hands. Dawn looked at him with concern.  
"Matt...I am who you see. I know it's been a while, but it's not liked I never cared."  
"I remember back when we came back from the Digiworld, you abandoned me without telling me where you went! I thought something bad happened to you! You misleaded me and when I thought that you were dead, you show up on TV for the first time! I was worried sick for you and you didn't seem to care the least bit!"   
"Already, I've only been here for not even five minutes, and you're yelling at me for something I couldn't control."  
"What do you mean 'couldn't control'? I have every right to be mad because of the stunt you pulled on me. That was your decision, wasn't it?"  
"That's where you're wrong, Matt. It WASN'T my decision. Look, you can believe what you want. I just came here..."  
"Yeah, I know why you came back. Just to people, do your greets and leave for another three years, maybe even longer.  
"No. I came back to see you. You would not believe-!"  
"How much you missed me? Yeah, like I've heard that line a million times."  
"Stop it, Matt! You're not listening to me. Look, I don't want to fight with you. It feels like I'm your enemy. I would like for you to listen so you can hear what I have to say..."  
"I don't want to hear excuses! You just left me and that was the end of our friendship. What kind of friend would do that?" Matt asked. Dawn looked at him ever so serious. She then pulled out a tape from her bag. "I never knew it would have to come to this...."  
"What is it?" Matt asked.  
"It's a tape from a servalence camera I was able to retrieve before I came here. I think you might want to take a look at it. It was from when I first arrived there." Dawn explained while Matt took the tape and put it into the VCR. "I was taken the night I came back from the Digiworld and was brought here to Diamond Records." Matt saw that Dawn was tied to a chair and a man was talking to her. He heard threats that he was not joking around with that if Dawn ever left without a guard. Then they heard the man threatened to kill Matt right in front of her. Dawn, in the video then slowly nodded her head and said she will. They were surpressing her powers(because she was a powerful ancient. That's a person with some serious amount of magic) because they didn't want her to use them against them. The tape ended and Matt looked at Dawn.  
"...I tried to call here and talk to you, but my phone calls were always cut off because they never let me call or see my friends. That's why I never got to tell you...and if you're still mad, then I understand." Dawn said, lowering her head. Matt stood up from his bed and looked at her. He lifted her chin with his hand so she could look at him.   
"I wish you didn't leave me hanging out in the cold. I had no idea where you went and you never called me. The day you left.... I went by your apartment, but when I got there, the door was left unlocked, and since no one was there besides you, I thought something could have happened to you. The place was totaled and I was sad. I tried to report it to the police, but they didn't listen to me. They laughed. I tried searching for you, but I couldn't find you. I then was told by T.K one day 'don't lose hope. Dawn will come back soon'. I tried really hard, praying every night you'd be safe. Then...Days turned into weeks....Weeks turned to months....and months turned into years. I knew then you weren't coming back after I heard you at a concert live on TV. My heart sank....After all this time I thought you were in trouble, you were havin' a great time singing while I cried over you. I'm sorry I blew up at you, Dawn. I just was mad and I wouldn't listen to anything you said because I thought it was just a lie..."  
"It's okay. I know it's not your fault....Well, I better get going. I have to go find a hotel to stay at." Dawn said and just as she turned around, Matt stopped her. "Wait, Dawn...Why...don't you stay here?"  
"Stay here? With you and T.K? Wouldn't I be a little bit of a bother?"  
"No. Of course not. We wouldn't mind having you stay for a while. It's nice to have company in this apartment once in a while. Besides, we're having pizza." Matt grinned.  
"Pizza, huh? Looks like I came at the right time." Dawn giggled.  
"Yeah. You're lucky because half of it is plain. C'mon, you can help me with the place settings." Matt said.  
~*~*~Meanwhile~*~*~  
"Well...I think that we must keep an eye out for Dawn. We don't know what kind of tricks she might pull on us and turn against us. I say we should call someone who will nagotiate with us that will know how to take REAL good care of Ms. Tabor...." A man said, sitting in his chair.  
"Sir, ever since we've had the child, we've been able to gather information on her. Her likes/dislikes, and her deepest secrets..."  
"So? Why would it be any use to me?"  
"Because, Mr. Corneo, she is one of the digidestined."  
"What's that? A little girly club?"  
"No sir. She can travel into a demension called the 'DigiWorld' and where she controls little monsters. There is one person I think we can talk to in order to get her back, because we know she's not going to want to come to us automatically..."  
"I'm listening...."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*Meanwhile~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"No way!" Dawn laughed. "Did he really....?" Implying it to T.K.  
"Yeah! He was just in his bed, halfway off it, DROOLING and going, 'Oh, I love you...I really love you....Do you love me?'. It was the most histerical thing I have ever seen. But the best one was when Tai, Izzy and me both snuck in his room one night...We put whip cream in his hand and when we tickled his nose, he brought his hand up and smuthered himself with whip cream!" T.K chuckled.  
"Ha, ha, HA. Laugh all you want, that joke was rotten, T.K." Matt said with his arms crossed, sitting back in his seat.  
"Oh, c'mon, Matt. It seemed cute when you do those things. Besides, it was out of fun." Dawn said, giggling uncontrollably.  
"Yeah, they were the ones laughing and I was the one that was ticked off because of all the whip cream on my face AND hair!" Matt began. There was silence at the table for a few minutes, until T.K said. "Isn't this great? Now the whole group is together again. And we can take out the DigiEmperor for sure." Dawn looked over at him.  
"DigiEmeror? Whos' he?" She asked.  
"Some punk science freak known as Ken Itchijouji is the DigiEmperor and he's trying to take over the DigiWorld. He's using black rings in order to take control of the Digimon." Matt explained.  
"That's horrible..." Dawn said  
"But now there is a new set of Digidestined." T.K said.  
"A new set? Are we now just dirt? Are we free from our duties?"  
"No. We still have to be able to show them everything we know. They have these new digivices and everything. They also have a different way of evolving their Digimon by armor digivolving."  
"Too much has changed...." Dawn smiled and then remembered something. "Batugurlmon!"  
"What about her?" T.K asked.  
"She might be waiting for me to come back. What if she hates me since I left her for so long? What if something bad happened to her?"  
"Calm down, Dawn. I'm sure that Batugurlmon is all right...We'll go see her tomorrow." Matt said, getting up from the table. "I think it's getting late. Let's just call it a night."  
"Matt, it's only ten-thirty." T.K said.  
"I know, but you have school tomorrow. I don't want mom to be mad at me for you not getting any sleep and not being able to stay up in class."  
"All right..." T.K sighed and went to his room. Dawn and Matt looked at each other and were silent.  
"....I...uh, better make my bed on the couch...." Dawn said, standing up.  
"No, that's okay, Dawn. You can have my room." Matt said.   
"Now, Matt, I don't think that-"  
"It's all right Dawn. I'll take the couch and you take my bed." Matt said. Dawn smiled and kissed him on the cheek gently and went to his room to go get changed. When she was done changing, she laid down slowly and picked up a book that she had. As she was reading, Matt came in the room.  
"Do you need anything, Dawn?" He asked.  
"No, Matt. I'm okay, thank you." Dawn replied.  
"That's good...." He said. As he was leaving, he thought of something important and sat on the side of the bed. "ummm...Dawn?"  
"Hmm?"  
"....Goodnight." He said, but through his mind, he wanted to whack himself upside the head hard because that wasn't what he wanted to say. Matt just wanted to say 'I missed you and love you...', but it didn't come out.  
"Goodnight, Matt." She said politely. "Oh, I just wanted to ask you something. When are we going to see the others?"  
"Probably tomorrow afternoon. Why?"  
"Well, you remember the picture in my locket of us three years ago in the DigiWorld?"  
"Yeah."  
"Let's go down to the mall tomorrow and take a new picture so I have a previous one and a new one. It will be so cool."  
"Sure. A day at the mall tomorrow with you and me. That will be fun." Matt replied and said goodnight. When he closed the door, he sighed. Gosh, she's become more beautiful than ever, Matt thought. But what chance do I have with her? We just saw each other after three years. It's probably best to not rush anything...BUT I really want to kiss her...just one kiss from her would be fantastic.  
~*~*~*~Meanwhile~*~*~*~  
"Are you the one they call Ken Itchijouji?" Don Corneo said over the phone to a kid.  
"Some may refer to me as that." He replied.  
"Ken, I know you're the Digimon Emperor in the Digital World."  
"Who is this I am speaking to?"  
"This is Don Corneo. I'm the man who owns Diamond Records."  
"I've heard of you, Mr. Corneo, but why do you want to talk to someone like me, and how do you know my secret."  
"I know because I do, Ken. I have a favor to ask of you."  
"And what would I get out of this little request?"  
"....Power."  
"All right. What do you have in mind in order to get this POWER."  
"There's another digidestined that hasn't arrived into the digital world yet. She will eventually be there and I want you to keep a good eye on her. She has amazing powers that is beyond belief only because she is an ancient."  
"An ancient, eh? Well, this may be interesting."  
"You have to get her to give you her powers...That's going to be the hard part."  
"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem at all, Mr. Corneo....not a problem at all..."  
~*~*~*~The Next Morning~*~*~*~   
"Rise and shine, Matt!" A voice said. Matt slowly opened his eyes to see that Dawn was sitting by him on the couch. "Time to get up and enjoy the day!"  
"Wh...What?" He asked groggily.  
"Come on, Matt!" She said, helping him sit up. "Get up."  
"Oh all right..." Matt replied as he rubbed his eyes and then realized something. "Oh my god! I forgot to make breakfast for T.K and get him to school! I'm such an idiot!"  
"Don't worry." Dawn said. "I made him some pancakes and I made sure he got to school. You looked tired yesterday so I thought that you needed some sleep from all that extra excitement." Matt scratched his head.  
"Dawn, you didn't have-" Matt said but she put her finger on his mouth. "I know I didn't. I was up, you weren't, so I beat you to the punch. Let's just leave it at that."  
"All right. You win.." Matt smiled. "Oh yeah. We're getting the picture taken today, aren't we?"  
"Yep!" Dawn said cheerfully.  
"Okay. Let me get dressed and we'll go down to the mall. Then, after that, let's go see the others to tell them that you're here."  
"Sure." Dawn replied. She got her purse and coat while Matt went into his room to change. When he got out, He got his jacket and the two went walking out the door. When they got to the mall, the first thing they did was go to the photo store. Matt walked up to the photographer while Dawn waited at a seat in the waiting room.  
"Excuse me," He began. "I'd like to take a couple photo."  
"Okay. Name please?" She asked.  
"Matt Takaishi and Dawn Tabor."  
"....Can I have that last name again?"  
"Dawn Tabor. Is there a problem?"  
"No. It just seems quite abnormal to see a very famous musician around. I haven't seen one."  
"...So?"  
"Well, how can I be sure that you're not lying?"  
"Hello..." Dawn said from behind. The two looked at her and the photographer gawked in surprise. "You're.... You're really her!" The photographer exclaimed.  
"Told ya." Matt said.  
"...My sincere apologies, Dawn. Would you like to take your picture now?"   
"Sure." Dawn replied. Matt and Dawn both went to the back of the room and stood in the picture area. The photographer went with them and set up her camera.  
"Okay now....Get together so we can have a nice picture..." She said. Matt and Dawn slowly moved in closer to each other. "C'mon, what is this? Get closer to each other! Matt...put your hands around Dawn's waist and Dawn, put your hands around Matt's neck....That's it. That looks like a great shot." Dawn and Matt both felt uncomfortable with the idea, feeling how close they were, but it was actually kind of nice. The two gave the camera some good smiles and with a flash of the camera, it was over with. Matt looked at Dawn while she looked at him and then took their hands off each other, feeling a slight embarrassed. The photographer grinned.  
"That was good. I'll have the pictures ready for you in a couple days. I'll mail them to ya." She said.  
"That'd be great." Dawn said. Matt and Dawn left the store and since they had some time on their hands, they decided to go around for some shopping. Dawn thought it would be really interesting if they tried on some clothes at a store where it had a lot of interesting clothes. She was first and then while she got dressed, Matt waited by sitting down on a chair. She first came out in a long, white dress. Dawn posed for him, twirling in it and Matt told her that was very nice on her. She tried on a couple outifits, which Matt thought they were getting better and better and then Matt tried on some tuxs'. Dawn complimented that they made him look very sharp and handsome, and he began to blush a bright red.  
Later on, after buying a couple pairs of clothes, and getting a little ice cream, Dawn and Matt both headed down to meet up with their fellow digidestined. Before they came there, everyone was sitting around, feeling completely bored and miserable.  
"You wanna go to the DigiWorld?" Davis asked the group.  
"We can't go until Matt gets here..." T.K replied. "Gosh, they're taking a long time...."  
"They?" Kari asked. "I thought it was just Matt. Who else is going?"  
"Umm...no one. I meant 'he' instead of 'they'....heh, heh..."  
"If I'm not mistaken, Matt has probably forgotten about his duties and went to go rehearse with his band." Izzy observed.  
"Izzys' right. Matt probably just forgot about us..." Tai said. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door with Matt's head peeping in. Tai stood up. "Matt, what took you so long, dude?"  
"Sorry guys..." Matt apologized. "We kinda got side-tracked of time..."  
"'We'? Okay, now either you or Matt has to explain things..." Yolei said to T.K.  
"I'll explain..." Matt said. "Guys, I'd like for you to meet someone."  
"Who? Please tell me it's a pizza delivery guy that has connections." Cody said.  
"...No..." Matt chuckled. "I want you all to meet Dawn." Dawn came out from behind him and looked at everyone.  
"Hi!" Dawn said. Izzy and Tai looked at her, astonished to see how gorgeous she has become and were blushing. They ran over to her and took her hands into theirs.  
"Dawn! It's great to see you again!" Tai said excitedly.  
"Yes! Have a seat, Dawn! You must be tired from walking!" Izzy added as they pushed her into a seat.   
"But guys-!" Dawn began.  
"How have you been, Dawn? Is the music going okay?"  
"Yeah, but I-"  
"That's good to hear. You know we have been thinking a lot about you because you're really important to all of us."  
"That's very nice of you to say, but-"  
"That's right, Izzy. She IS apart of the team and plays an important role..."  
"Of course!"  
"Right!"  
"GUYS!" Dawn somewhat shouted, and they stopped all at once. "....Thank you...It's nice to see all of you and you guys..." She turned to the new digidestined. "I don't believe we have met before."  
"I'm Davis!" Davis replied as he went up to her immediately.  
"Yoleis' the name!" Yolei said.  
"And I'm Cody. It's nice to meet you, Dawn. You look much prettier up close than on T.V. But of course you look good on that too."  
"Thanks, Cody...." Dawn smiled and then turned to Kari. "Are you...Kari?"  
"That's me, Dawn." Kari replied.  
"Oh my god! You and T.K grew so fast! I hardly recognize you....since we came back from the DigiWorld, you both really grew!"  
"Wait a minute!" Davis interrupted. "Dawn is a...digidestined?"  
"Of course she is." Matt replied.   
"She was one of the originals with us." Izzy added.  
"Really?" Davis asked. "Wow...That is so cool...we got a famous musician on our side! But...what important part does she play as a digidestined? You said she was one of the most important."  
"She is because Dawn has the Angel crest. She has a Digimon named Batugurlmon that can digivolve into Vampressmon, a very powerful digimon, and she isn't at her ultimate level, and then digivovles again into Megavampressmon. She is extremely powerful. Dawn alone is powerful because she has magical powers." Tai explained.  
"Magical powers? Psh! Yeah right!" Davis said. Dawn gave a sly grin and started to burn Davis with her fireball. He coughed out smoke and felt stunned.  
"Looks like you got burned, Davis," Yolei laughed.  
"...C'mon guys. Let's go to the DigiWorld now and maybe we can Batugurlmon along the way." Kari said. Everyone nodded their heads and took out their digivices, and before they knew it, they were in the DigiWorld. Dawn looked around. "Wow, it really seems like its' changed..."  
"New areas, new bad guys, same ol' Digimon." T.K said.  
"Batugurlmon! Batugurlmon! Where are you??" Dawn began calling out. A little monster came running up to her. She had wings on her head with claws. She looked small, but her looks were easily decieving.  
"Dawn!" Batugurlmon shouted as she ran. The two met up and hugged each other tightly. "I'm so glad to see you again, Batugurlmon!" Dawn said.  
"It's the same here right back at ya!" Batugurlmon replied.  
"Batugurlmon," Tai began. "It's been a while."  
"Yeah, it has. But since Dawn is here now, we'll be able to take anything down for sure!"  
"...I'm blushing, Batugurlmon!"  
"...Tentamon should be here...Didn't you say that he was in these area coordinates and he had a distress signal, Izzy?" Cody asked all of a sudden.   
"Yeah, he's no where around...Batugurlmon, where is Tentamon?" Izzy asked.  
"Oh, Tentamon should be coming soon. He was a little far behind me when I last looked..." Batugurlmon replied.  
"Maybe next time you should slow down a little bit!! I'm not as fast as you, remember?!!" Tentamon said as he came up, looking exhausted.  
"Hey, buddy." Izzy greeted.  
"Hi Izzy!" Tentamon replied.  
"Tentamon, what happened? Is there something wrong with the village you were guarding?" Matt asked.  
"Yeah! All the poor Digimon that were there are being controlled by the dark rings. I tried to get them off, but there were too many and they were all attacking at me! The Digimon Emperor is there too! He's making sure they're doing his dirty work!"  
"What is he doing?" Gatomon asked.  
"The Digimon Emperor has enslaved them so they could build a dark spiral. These ones are a lot stronger, so it's going to be a lot more difficult to break."  
"Then, how do we bust it up?" Davis asked.  
"I don't know! How am I supposed to know all the answers?!" Tentamon asked.  
"Guys, calm down. We'll figure a way to destroy it. Just have a little patience." Yolei said.  
"I'll take you to Caldrina right now! Theres' not a moment to lose!" Tentamon said and he began to fly off, with everyone following him. The hid by a hill while they watched the Digimon Emperor slapped the poor Digimon with the crack of his whip.  
"Work, you pathetic losers, work!" He shouted angrilly.  
"THAT'S the Digimon Emperor??" Dawn asked, seeming, unsurprised. "I kinda expected better."  
"Looks are decieving..." Tai groaned.  
"Why don't you guys just take him out all at once?" Dawn asked.  
"It's a little bit harder than that. The Digimon Emperor is always keeping his guard up and he has mega-strong Digimon to back him up. Once we defeat the monsters, he's gone and no where to be found." Matt explained.  
"That's gotta bite..." Dawn said.   
"Let's move in closer to take a good look at things." Tai said. The group moved in stealth mode and tried to make it past every Digimon in order to get to the DigiEmperor. Dawn looked very closely to get a good look at him and just shook her head. How could this kid think that he rules the whole Digimon world? She thought.  
"I say we armor digivolve right now!" Davis said to the rest whispering, and the rest nodded their heads.  
"Digi-armor ENERGIZE!" The new digidestined all said at once, and within a split second, they were all in their new forms.  
"Gabumon, it's your turn." Matt said.  
"Let's go Tentamon!" Izzy said.  
"You too, Batugurlmon." Dawn added.  
"Right!" The little Digimon all said at once.   
"Baturgurlmon digivolve to...Vampressmon!"  
"Gabumon digivolve to...Garurumon!"  
"Tentamon digivolve to...Kabutarimon!"   
"All right everyone! Attack at once!" Tai directed. All the Digimon jumped out at once and began making a rukus all about. The Digimon Emperor looked around him.  
"What's going on?!" He asked.  
"Perhaps an ambush..." Wormmon replied.  
"I know that, you moron! It's those KIDS again! Flarinmon! Toadmon! Attack those brats and get them out of here!" The digimon nodded their heads in understanding and turned to the Digidestined.  
"You kids better get out of here, otherwise you're gonna get burned! FIRE WHIP!!" Flarinmon scolded and threw his whip made of fire at T.K.  
"Watch out, T.K!" Dawn said. She quickly made a fireball come from her hand, threw it at Flarinmon's whip, shouting. "Moment Cracker!" The two attacks collided, and both of them were disintegrating. Flamdramon came in and used his "Fire Rocket!" at Flarinmon and it went flying backwards. More Toadmon and Flarinmon came out and they were all out numbered.  
"What are we going to do?" Cody asked.  
"Don't worry, Cody! I got this all covered! GOLD RUSH!" Digmon said and his attack fired at all of them, but it was no use. "Okay, maybe I wasn't able to cover..."  
"I got this....! Super Flare!" Vampressmon shouted as her fireball grew larger and threw it at all the Toadmon and Flarinmon, but again, it was not enough.  
"Someone has to take out the dark spire!" Matt said.  
"You guys all go ahead and take it out! Vampressmon and I will take care of these guys!" Dawn said as she turned back to the digimon.   
"Are you going to be okay by yourself, Dawn?" Yolei asked.  
"I'll be fine! Just go ahead and I'll meet up with you soon!" Dawn replied. She turned to Vampressmon.  
"Ready to fight?" Dawn asked with a sly look.  
"Ready whenever you are, Dawn!" Vampressmon replied.  
"You both can't take all of us down! It's impossible to defeat us!" Toadmon said. "Ready to give up to the Emperor?!"  
"Ummm....." Dawn began to think and then said, "No." The digimon were both surprised, but then they went to attack anyways because orders were orders.  
"Not so fast! Diamond DUST!!!" Dawn said and suddenly she let out a big ball of ice and shout it like a cannon and froze all the Digimon in place.  
"Isn't it nice that they're all standing in once place?" Dawn asked Vampressmon.  
"Very...But now I think it's time that they need a little heat to go round...." She replied and she used her finger to circle them and brought it back up to her saying "Fire...ball!" The whole area burned brightly, and you could tell the two were enjoying this. Meanwhile, The rest were running to the spire and tried all their attacks at once.  
"We need to use all of our strength! This ones' a tough one!" Garurumon said.  
"Let's all attack together!" Tai said.  
"Star Shower!" Pegasismon shouted.  
"Flaming Fist!"  
"Rosetta Stone!"  
"Gold Rush!"  
"Electroshocker!"  
"Howling Blaster!"  
"Tempest Wing!" All the attacks were aimed directly at the spire, and before they knew it, the whole thing had shattered into pieces. Just as Vampressmon and Dawn were about to attack, the rings had detatched from the Digimon and they all looked around in confusion. Dawn then looked to find where the Digimon Emperor, but didn't see him until a figure caught her eye.  
"So you must be what your fellow Digidestined call 'SAVIOR'. You're just a puny mortal just like the rest of them. What good use are you to me with whatever powers you have? They must just be just pathetic as you in general."  
"I wouldn't say that..." Dawn replied. "You're just a punk that lives in his fake, fantasy world that hasn't awaken to reality yet. This thing about you owning all the Digimon and being able to control this world is not going to happen...not while we're around. I especially won't let you have your filthy hands on this world."  
"And how are you going to do that?" The Digimon Emperor asked. Dawn was silent, but then she heard Matt from behind her call out her name. She turned around to see the rest of the group come up. Dawn turned back to the Digimon Emperor, but he had vanished. Coward, Dawn scolded in her mind.  
"You both okay?" Tai asked.  
"I'm okay." Vampressmon replied.  
"Me too..." Dawn said.  
"I say we go back. It's getting pretty late and our parents are probably wondering where we are." Cody implied.  
"Codys' right. Let's get a move on." Kari said. The group went back to the T.V that they had originally came from, and transported themselves from there, back into the real world.   
"That was actually a quite a fast battle. Almost like a slap-and-run type thing." Davis said.  
"I think you mean 'HIT-and-run'..." T.K corrected. "But Davis is right. That seemed way too easy...Do you think the Digimon Emperor is planning something really big for us?"  
"Who knows...But we will be ready for him, won't we?" Dawn replied and Tai, Izzy, and Matt nodded.   
"Right." Tai said.  
"Well, T.K, Dawn, and I better be getting home." Matt said with the two agreeing.  
"All right. We'll have to take tomorrow off since none of us can make it in here." Izzy said.  
"Yeah, and that the fact the detention hall has been moved in here." Yolei added.   
"See ya, guys." Dawn said as she waved to them and the three walked home. As they were walking home, Matt had just remembered something.  
"Oh no...I have band practice tonight. We're supposed to be recording music for a demo tape! Agh! I completely forgot." He said, as the two looked over at him.  
"Band practice?" Dawn asked.  
"What? You mean you don't know, Dawn? Didn't Matt tell you?" T.K asked.  
"No, he didn't..."  
"Matt's in a band and he is now trying to go to a record company so they can sign them a contract and stuff."  
"Is that true?" Dawn asked as she looked at Matt and he nodded his head with his face blushing.  
"Yeah...It's true. I'm supposed to be recording a song a wrote tonight. You wanna come?" Matt answered.  
"I'd love to!" Dawn said excitedly.  
"You guys better go. I'm goin' home." T.K said.  
"All right T.K. We'll see ya later." Matt said and the three went their separate ways. Dawn and Matt both walked to the recording studio, and once they got in, they saw the band tuning their instraments.  
"Hey guys." Matt greeted. They looked up and all of them gasped at once. "...Surprised to see me?" They ran up to Dawn and began shaking her hand.  
"You're Dawn Tabor! I love your work! You are one of my most favorite musicians...Not to mention the prettiest!" Justin exclaimed.  
"Uh huh! Uh huh!" Riley repeated over and over.  
"Umm...Guys? This is Dawn, obviously...Dawn, this is Riley, Justin, and Brian. They're apart of the band." Matt tried explaining.  
"It's nice to meet you all." Dawn giggled.  
"So, Matt...Is this the Dawn that you kept saying the name over and over on the takes of 'It's gonna be me'?" Justin grinned.  
"Umm...Well....I, uh..." Matt stuttered, blushing a bright red. "It's was only that time! Anyone could make that mistake...! But now, we've got a song to record."  
"Right." Justin agreed. "Why don't we work on your solo song first? The guys and I aren't finished getting the instraments ready."  
"But...Isn't Brian supposed to help me with the duet?"   
"He really can't. Brian sort of lost his voice. Now all he can do is play the drums. Good thing that's all he has to do for our group song."  
"Yeah, but...What about my song? Who's gonna do it with me...?" Matt asked. Justin looked at him and then glanced over at Dawn, who was sitting in a seat, smiling. "Why not have Dawn come and do the duet with you?"  
"What? Dawn?? I don't think that she'll wan-" Matt began and Justin just walked over to Dawn.  
"Excuse me, Dawn?" He began. "Would it be okay if you did a duet with Matt? Our other singer can't sing at the moment and we have no other replacements."  
"You want me to sing with Matt?" Dawn asked.  
"Only if you want to."  
"I don't mind it." Dawn replied happily. She got up and both Dawn and Matt went into the recording room. Matt gave her the sheets to look at and she studied the notes very carefully. When she was ready, Matt gave Justin the signal the "go" sign. The song began slowly and Matt took a deep breath, beginning to sing:  
Look so bright, night so fine  
Keep your heart here with mine  
Lifes' a dream, we are dreamin'  
Face the moon, catch the wind, ride the night til the end,  
Seize the day, stand up for the light  
  
I want to spend my lifetime loving you  
If that's all in life I would ever do  
  
Heroes rise, heroes fall, rise again, with it all  
In your heart, can't you feel the glory  
Throughout try, throughout pain, we can move worlds again  
Take my hand dance with me  
  
I want to spend my lifetime loving you  
If that is all in life I would ever do  
I will want nothing else to see me through  
If I can spend my lifetime loving you.  
  
Yeaaaaahh......ohhhhhhhhhh....  
All we know, we will never come again,  
When there's love life begins over...and over again...!  
See the night, see the day, save the love, come one may  
Love is worth everything we pay  
  
I want to spend my lifetime loving you  
If that is all in life I would ever do  
The recorder stopped and by the end, Matt looked at Dawn. She glanced over at him and smiled. The song went smoothly, and that's what practically mattered to the group. The two came out of the recording room, their faces flushed with exhaustion, due to the heat inside it.  
"That was perfect!" Justin exclaimed. "You guys sounded really good! This song is like one of THE best I've heard come from us..."  
"Are we ready for the other recording?" Matt asked.  
"Ahh...well...you see...We've been trying to fix the guitars and stuff...and well, something seems to be wrong with it..." Justin said as he scratched his head. Matt shook his head in disbelief.  
"You don't want to perform in front of Dawn while recording, do you? You think we're gonna screw up?" He asked.  
"...Yeah. Anyways, it's about time to wrap it up. We're gonna practice. You go on home...You look tired, dude... What have you been doing since yesterday?"  
"Too much...." Matt sighed. "I'm outta here. I'll catch you guys later, okay?"   
"Yeah, I'll see ya, Matt." Justin said. He and the rest of the band waved goodbye to Matt and Dawn, and they were well on their way home. Dawn clasped her hand into Matt's for comfort, which made Matt feel a little nervous, but he did like it at the same time.   
"That was a lot of fun," Dawn began. "You shoulda told me that you wrote music."  
"...You never asked." Matt replied.   
"I shouldn't have to ask, Matt. You could of said something. After all, I haven't seen you in three years. It would be nice to let me know what else has been going on with you, besides the DigiWorld."  
"Okay...I'll let you know more." Matt chuckled.  
"But...about that song....What was the name of it?"  
"It was called 'I want to Spend my Lifetime Loving you'."  
"...It was beautifully written."  
"Thanks."  
"....What made you come up with it?"  
"...I dunno. It took me months to write....I was just thinking about like a Romeo and Juliet type thing at the time. I had no ideas and then I was watching some romantic movie and then it hit me." Matt explained. Actually, I was thinking of you the whole time writing it, he thought, but he didn't want to say it to her face. He was too embarrassed to tell her, and what was worse as what if she just laughed at it. When they got into the apartment, Matt turned on the lights and looked around and sighed, feeling like there was nothing to do in the house.  
"T.K," Dawn called. "We're back...!"  
"Hey, guys." T.K answered as he walked into the hallway.  
"What have you been up to?" Matt asked.  
"Nothin'. There really isn't anything for me to do." T.K sighed. 


	2. Part II

  
"So, what do you want to do tonight?" Matt asked.  
"I dunno. What about you, T.K?" Dawn said, turning to T.K. He just shrugged his shoulders.  
"I don't care. Maybe watch a movie?" T.K suggested.  
"That sounds like a plan to me." Matt smiled. That means I get to sit next Dawn, Matt pondered. Ahh, to be close to Dawn... Then the doorbell rang. "Unusual. Who would come to our house at this hour?" Matt walked over to the door and opened it to find that Jun, Davis' older sister was standing there, smiling. Matt stepped back in surprise to find her there.  
"Jun! What are you doing here??" He asked.  
"Don't you remember, Matt?" Jun asked.  
"Remember? Remember what?"   
"The date you said you'd go on with me because of little Davis...remember?"  
"Umm...Uhhh...Jun? I don't really think nows's a good time...."  
"Why not?"  
"Well, because..."  
"Matt Takaishi, I think you're trying to avoid me and this date and that's not what's going to happen." Jun said. Matt turned back to Dawn to find her smiling. "Go on, Matt. Don't worry about us. T.K and I will have fun while you're gone."  
"But I-"  
"No 'Buts'. Just go, silly and enjoy yourself." Dawn said. Jun took Matt by the arm and dragged him out of the apartment, closing the door behind him. T.K and Dawn both looked at each other and giggled.  
"Come on, let's go watch a movie." T.K said. Dawn sat down on the couch while T.K inserted the tape into the VCR. During the movie, T.K all of a sudden started to make conversation by starting with, "Do you like Matt, Dawn?" Dawn turned over to him with a somewhat odd look.  
"Of course I do, T.K. Why wouldn't I?" She replied.  
"No, I mean, do you like LIKE Matt?" T.K asked. Dawn was a little bit stunned.  
"...Well...That's a very personal question, T.K."  
"You can tell me, Dawn. I won't tell Matt."  
"....I guess that Matt is very sweet and very considerate. He has changed since the last time I remember him. He changed from rebel, to a completely different person. I didn't mind him before, but he really is nice now. Much different."  
"Do you think he's cute?"  
"T.K! Why do you care so much?"  
"I dunno. You guys look like you both like each other. Matt really likes you."  
"He does? How do you know?"  
"Just the way he talks to you. He never really talks like that to other girls that I know of."  
"...Really?"  
"Yeah."  
"I don't think that Matt has any interest in me like that." Dawn shrugged, trying to move away from the subject. She felt like she was blushing a bright, bright red. Maybe I really do like Matt...more than like, Dawn thought.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
"Goodnight, Jun..." Matt said.  
"Goodnight, Matt. I really had fun tonight and I hope to do it again some time."  
"....Yeah." Matt hesitated, looking up at the ceiling. He looked back at her to see that her lips were puckered up. He had a sweatdrop on his head, but he knew it would be kind of rude not to kiss her. Matt leaned himself in and lightly pecked her on the cheek. He felt his whole body shiver. Jun looked at him with a giddy smile that kind of scared Matt. He quickly got in his apartment and closed the door. Matt sighed in relief. Thank god that date is over with...Matt thought. He turned on the light so he could see and found Dawn, who fell asleep while reading a book. Matt just smiled and when he saw her and went to go get a blanket to put on her. He gently set it on her, but her eyes slowly opened to find him there.  
"Hi Matt..." She said. "Did you have fun on your date?"  
"Oh, I had LOTS of fun." Matt grinned in sarcasm.  
"That bad, huh?"  
"Yeah...I had to kiss Jun and believe me when I say that it felt like I was kissing Davis. I felt like I was going to be sick." Matt said. Dawn began to giggle.  
"You're so funny, Matt..." Dawn said. "You've always been able to make me laugh."  
"Well, what can I say? I'm a natural..."  
"Not around Tai and the others when we were younger."  
"Yeah, well...they were a tough crowd...I wasn't really comfortable around them... By the way, where's T.K?"  
"He went to bed a while ago. He said he was tired."  
"On a Friday night?"  
"I guess....A school week can get someone easily tired."  
"Yeah, I guess it can."  
"Matt....I've been thinking for a while...you know me better than anyone....but... Do you like me?" Dawn asked out of the blue. Matt looked at her in concern and then sat next to her.  
"Of course I do...what makes you think that I don't?" He replied.  
"I dunno...Just curious. I've been thinking this for a while, and it seems that it has been a little awkward between us..."  
"Like what?"  
"I don't know...It's hard to describe....something that I'm scared about."  
"Scared?"  
"Yeah...like something would happen."  
"Dawn, you really shouldn't worry about the future. Worry about now, remember? That's what you taught me when we were younger....Now, c'mon. Show me your...beautiful smile." Matt grinned and he saw her smiled timidly.  
"Thanks, Matt. You've always known how to cheer me up." Dawn replied  
"Do you know what other thing I know about you?" Matt asked.  
"What?"  
"That you're a sweet, kind, pretty, and an intelligent girl. And..."  
"...And? And what?"   
"I also know your...ticklish spots!!!" Matt said and then he began to tickle her. Dawn rolled with laughter. She felt tears come out because she couldn't take it anymore. Matt finally stopped when she called "Uncle!!" a couple times. When he finished, Dawn immediately got on top of him and began to tickle him and he was the one roaring in laughter. The two were just having a tickle war, and after ten minutes, they were out of breath from laughing so hard that their stomachs hurt. Matt looked at Dawn sweetly and unexpectedly, he kissed her on the lips ever so softly. Dawn was surprised, but she was even more surprised with herself because she kissed him back. The two stopped, surprised at their own actions.  
"I'm sorry..." Matt said, getting up.  
"Yeah, me too....I don't know what came over me..." Dawn followed, getting back onto the couch. Matt sat down next to her. He felt like such an idiot....He wanted to wish that never happened, due to how embarrassed he was. Suddenly, out of the blue, Dawn leaned over and kissed him on the lips gently. He held her close to kiss back and eventually, they were all over each other, feeling around. Before they knew it, the two were both in bed, naked and just talking at one in the morning. Dawn was laying on Matt's chest while they just stared at the ceiling, for they were both surprised at what they had just done.  
"Wow...." Matt breathed heavily.  
"I never thought that we would do that...." Dawn panted.  
"Neither would I, but I've always wanted to." Matt said. The two were both silent until he spoke again."Hey, Dawn...?" Matt asked softly.  
"Hmm...?" She asked faintly.  
"This night has been incredible for me. Ever since you've been here, everything has been completely different...I love it this way." Matt replied. Dawn got on top of him and put her head against his chest.  
"I feel different. I've never been in this position with you..." Dawn said.  
"Do you want to exchange sides?" Matt joked softly, knowing what she meant.   
"No, not like that. I mean. I've never really gotten to be like this in all my life I've known you. I never thought I'd be this close to you...I'm so close, I could feel and hear your heart beat. I was never able to before, but I guess that this is a wonderful experience for me."  
"Just by looking at you, Dawn, is enough to know that I have more things to experience with because you're very mysterious in some ways which makes me love you so much...I love you Dawn...."  
"I love you too, Matt....I just wish we could..."  
"Go again...? You couldn't possibly...."   
"No...I'm just so tired......I don't want to fall asleep because I want to freeze this moment. It's a great feeling."  
"....Sleep, Dawn. We can make another moment tomorrow...Now that we're together again, we'll never be apart...we'll stay together...forever...." Matt said as he kissed her on her forehead. Matt wasn't able to see that Dawn's face expression was doubtful. I wish I could tell him, Dawn thought. I know he needs to know that I'm leaving soon, but I just want these days to be happy instead of stressful. Matt has been so good to me and my life has never gone so well before. Poor Matt will be heart-broken once he finds out....and he probably won't want to speak to me again...I love him so much, I can't bare to go and just hurt both of us. It's like Deja Vu all over again. Dawn closed her eyes, falling alseep while pondering over the idea and the two she asleep in his arms.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Two weeks later~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"...Did you get the girl?" Don asked Ken over the phone.  
"All in good time, my good man...I've been trying to observe the girl so I know what exactly what to do when I meet this new adversary again. She was quite an interesting display that impressed me greatly."  
"Time is of the essance, Mr. Itchijouji. I would like you to bag her A.S.A.P....hopefully you can do that. I am counting on you."  
"Very well then. I shall have her ready..." Ken said and hung up. Corneo sat back in his desk and turned to a man that stood in front of him. He wore a mask and had a claw weapon attached to his hand.  
"It looks like you're up, Vega...." He said. "Go to the house where Ms. Tabor and have some fun with her.....I'm sure you can conjure something up from the dark imagination of yours....Don't kill her though....I still want that kid to bring her to me...."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Matt...." Dawn said in a sly voice. "Guess what?"  
"What?" Matt asked.  
"There's a concert that I'm going to be performing at...."  
"But I thought this was supposed to be your vacation."  
"I know...But I set up tonight to perform, and since I know you're in a band and all....I asked the guy that was allowing me to have the concert, and you guys could be my instramental back-up. I thought you could use the publicity."  
"Really? Are you serious?"  
"Yeah, I'm serious."  
"Oh man. Thank you so much, Dawn. The guys are so gonna be so happy to hear the news..."  
"I'm glad you're happy."  
"Oh, you wouldn't believe how happy I am....Wait....is it a big crowd, or a little crowd?"  
"Big crowd. Tickets were already sold out."  
"I love this women!" Matt said excitedly, and picked her up into his arms and began to twirl her in his arms. He kissed her consistanly on the lips, while she giggled. Matt set her back down and then asked, "...What time does it start?"  
"Around 7:30 tonight."  
"All right."  
"Do you think you guys will be ready by then?"  
"Of course!" Matt said. At that very minute, he went to the phone and began calling up the rest of the band. Amazingly, they really had nothing better to do(actually, they dropped everything that was going on at an instant.) so they came down to the stadium that day and began rehearsing the songs on Dawn's latest album, and some on her old one. Just then, the whole Digi-gang comes into the stadium(because Dawn gave them passes), watching them practice. They all stopped practicing and took a break. Dawn and Matt walked over to their friends.  
"This is impressive..." Tai remarked as he looked around.  
"I thought it was too when I first got a good glympse of it." Matt said.  
"So, are you all sticking around for the performance?" Dawn asked as she turned to the rest of the group.  
"DEFINITELY!!!" Yolei shouted with excitement. "I've been dying to come to one of your concerts and I will NOT pass this chance up!!"  
"I wanna see you guys perform. It should be interesting...." Joe replied.  
"I just hope you will enjoy this. I made it really special for tonight. This will be my biggest performance yet!" Dawn smiled.  
"I can see right now how much work you and Matt have put into it..." Izzy complimented.  
"Thanks, Izzy." Dawn replied.  
"So, what kind of cool affects are you going to be using for your BIGGEST performance?" Davis asked.  
"We can't tell you. It's a S-E-C-R-E-T. And besides, it would ruin the surprise." Dawn giggled.  
"Well, can't you give us a little hint?" Cody asked.  
"Nope. Sorry guys. You'll just have to wait like everyone else." Matt smiled.  
"Rats..." Davis said, lowering his head.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The whole stadium was full and it was getting closer to concert-time. The crowd was just going wild and it just wasn't even time yet. Just then, the lights dimmed on stage and music began to play softly. It got louder with some instraments playing and Dawn came out into the spotlight:  
"I hold the light and the darkenss of my heart  
trembling while I embrace the shadows that are moving me apart  
I can't give up all the dreams I have chased and my love will come a gain to me with pride...." She sang beautifully and suddenly, bursts of smoke and fireworks blew out of range, making the crowd all amazed and excited over the display.  
  
"When I look to the sunset  
all the colors so beautiful  
that the tears fall right down in-to the sea  
to the ocean of my he-art  
  
Though the brightness of the sun has drifted far away  
tomorrow holds, the sunlight of a brand new day for me  
I hold the light and the darkness in my heart  
Trembling while I embrace the shadows moving me apart  
and I can't give up all the dreams I have chased  
And my love will be there, and will come to me again  
with each rising sun, I'll find a future that is mine....."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The concert was coming to an end, and the crowd was getting even more wilder. Dawn talked to them for a few minutes, telling them they were a great audience, etc., etc. The lights dimmed until they couldn't see her anymore. She walked off stage and met up with Matt. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and told her she did a very good job. She smiled.  
"Thanks, Matt..." She grinned and kissed him on the lips softly.  
"....Ya know.....I gotta keep doing the compliment thing 'cuz....man, does it have it's rewards!" Matt said, to make Dawn giggle.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Dawn and I are gonna get out early today...Is that okay?" Matt asked as he picked up his backpack.  
"Sure thing, Matt." Tai replied as he looked away from the computer. "Just make sure you're super-rested for tomorrow."  
"All right." Matt grinned.  
"You too, Dawn." Izzy added.  
"Sure thing, Izzy." Dawn smiled. Just as they were leaving, Tai pulled Matt aside to talk to him beginning with, "...You seem way too much in a good mood....Why?"  
"Things have been going right, Tai...how much more do I need to say?"  
"...Like what?"  
"Well, Dawn is my first thing that has gone right with me...both of us are..."  
"Dating??"  
"Yep....and...we...kinda...ya know...." Matt said and looked down at the ground, which gave it away, and Tai looked at him in surprise.  
"Are you serious?? You actually did it with Dawn? What do you think that your dad is going to say about that?"  
"...I have absolutely no idea." Matt replied.  
"....Dude, I am so proud of you...You are so frickin' lucky...I'm jealous."  
"Didn't want to make you feel that way."  
"No, that's okay...It just seems really weird and unexpected."  
"Yeah, well...what can I do about that....? I'll catch ya later, Tai." Matt said as he waved to him and left the building to catch up with Dawn. Later on, Matt was cooking a light dinner while Dawn was taking a shower. What the two didn't know was that there was someone in the house that was unwelcomed....  
Dawn finally got out of the shower and walked into Matt's room, while putting her hair in a towel to dry off. As soon as she thought it was at the certain dryness she wanted, she sat down on the bed and took her brush off the nightstand. She began to brush it a couple times and decided to put it in long braids. When finishing her braiding, she then rolled them up into a bun. Dawn sighed in relief, and then suddenly, she saw the lampshade in front of her move by a drift. She froze in horror for a second and then looked up to see that Vega was falling towards her in attack, Dawn jumped out of the way quickly when he thrusted his claw into the bed. He knocked her off the bed, while she pulled the overs with her so he could fall right off. When they both looked at each other, Dawn gasped in surprise.  
"Oh god...! Vega!" She said. Vega looked at her and jumped right at her to attack. Meanwhile, the doorbell rang, and Matt went to go get it to find Tai and Joe at the door.  
"Hey, guys..." He said. "What's up?"  
"Nothin'. Thought we just come over to see how you guys were doin'." Tai replied.  
"But you just saw me." Matt chuckled. Dawn slammed right into the wall hard by Vega's strong attack. She tried get back up, but he just rolled towards her and kicked her into the ankles to fall over. She fell backwards into the bookcase and jumped out of the way while Vega's attack missed and ran into it. She picked up a long lampshade nearby and used it as one of her weapons. Dawn struck hard, missing him by inches. She pulled it back and then began to consistantly trust it at Vega until he finally broke the front end of the lampshade, which made it completely useless after that. Dawn stepped back with the stick in her hands while she tried to fend him off, but it was useless. Vega came right at her and grabbed her by the head to stop moving. She couldn't move an inch, but was able to dodge the claw that went into the wall. Dawn followed up by kneeing him into the stomach and then throwing an inside-out cresing-kick, which missed. She then threw a hook punch, but again missed, with Vega dodging, and using his claw to slash her in the chest. Dawn fell back into a wall. Just then, Joe, Tai, and Matt all heard a scream coming from Matt's room.  
"What was that?" Joe asked.  
"....Dawn!" Tai and Matt said at once. The three ran over to the closed door. Matt tried to open it, but the door was locked. Dawn fell to the ground hard, and she tried to get back up, but Vega kicked her back down. He picked her up by the hair, while she held his hand, and twisted herself to stick out her leg and trip him. She came right at him, but then Vega used his claw and slashed her into the face. She fell over backwards and fell into a lovesofa. He let out a evil laugh and took off his mask.  
"...My hobbies is to slowly peel the skin off the rabbits I find....ESPECIALLY cute little bunnies like you....and my friend here is thirsty for blood." Vega said, referring to his claws. Dawn got up slowly and looked at her hands to see that they were all covered in blood. She looked at him in anger, and picked up the lovesofa. Vega was caught off guard by it and Dawn threw it right at him. It hit him in the upper body portion, causing him to fall over, and lose his mask. Dawn came up and tried to ax kick him, but he rolled away. She then followed up with a spining bird-kick. Vega fell back down, and just as he was going to get back up, Dawn pushes down with her foot on his chest, and uses her other foot to go onto his face. She twisted her foot around on his face to cause some agony and pain to his face. Vega rolled backwards, holding his face.  
"....MY...MY BEAUTIFUL FACE IS RUINED....!!!! YOU BITCH!!! I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER!!!!" He said agrilly and began to attack more viciously. Meanwhile, Tai, Matt, and Joe were trying to open the door as best as they could.  
"Let's break down the door!" Tai said. The other two nodded in agreement and they used their shoulders to break the door. Dawn hit her back into the wall, and then Vega slashed her hip, which she let out a scream in pain.   
"Dawn!!!" He shouted. Dawn heard it and shouted back, saying, "Matt!! Help me!!!", but she was cut off, by Vega slamming her down into the ground. She looked up to see his foot coming down on her, but she quickly rolled to the side. Dawn got up, but was kicked off balance, by Vega and she fell back down. She looked up to find him jumping up in the air and coming at her, feet first. Dawn rolled to the side, while Vega hit the floor, but jumped on top of the cieling.  
"Damn!" Matt shouted angrily, knowing he couldn't get in.  
"Joe, call the police. We need to get Dawn outta there!" Tai instructed to Joe.  
"You can't do that! By the time they get here, Dawn will probably be ripped to shreds. We have to keep trying! Now c'mon! Help me with this door!" Matt said. The three then began to push hard with all their might. Dawn looked up at the cieling, and began to swiftly run up a wall. When she was far enough up, she thrusted herself at him, kicking him straight into the face. Vega fell back, and Dawn then followed up with a punch to his face to make him fall off. She then jumped off the boards right at him. Vega noticed her, and crunched his legs in. Both of their feet touched at the same time, and Vega used all of his leg strength to push her back in the air. Dawn flew up high, and when she was coming back down, she saw that Vega was ready with his claw. She grabbed hold of a board that supported the cieling, and flung herself over to the wall. Dawn then used all of her might to push herself off the wall to perform a backflip. She came at him with a tornado kick to make him fall against the wall. Dawn fell over on her own, feeling weaker than ever. She panted and her vision began to feel blurry, but she kept him in sight. Dawn shook her head, and looked at him in anger. She got back up and charged at him with extreme force and began to do a series of kicks over and over again. Vega was against the wall, and it began to have cracks and eventually, when Dawn used her last kick, he was sent through the wall and down from the 13-story building. Suddenly, Matt, Joe, and Tai were finally able to break down the door. Matt ran in to look for Dawn.  
"Dawn!!" He said. He looked around to find her laying in a corner with her eyes closed. The three ran over to her and Matt sat her up. "...I'm here, Dawn. C'mon....open your eyes...." Dawn slightly opened her eyes to find Matt sighing in relief.  
"Dawn, what happened?" Tai asked.  
"It was Vega..." She replied.  
"Vega? Who's that?" Joe asked.  
"Corneo's....henchman...." Dawn said and closed her eyes. Matt looked at her with concern.  
"Dawn, hang in there..." He said. Matt picked her up and laid her in her bed. "Tai, get me Dawn's bag."  
"What for?" Tai asked. "Dawn needs a hospital, not her bag."  
"Just do it, Tai! I know what I'm doing." Matt snapped. Tai did what he was told and gave it to him. Matt searched thoroughly and eventually pulled out something. It looked like a spray bottle from what the other two observed. Matt began to spray some of it over Dawn's wounds and then put the covers over her.   
"What did you just do?" Joe asked.  
"This is a spray that Dawn uses to heal her wounds. Thank God these wounds weren't extreme."  
"Do you think anything is broken?" Tai asked.   
"I dunno. I know it heals about most of her body in hours. We should let her rest and go find out about this Vega guy." Matt explained.  
"I suggest we go to Izzy's. I bet he can come up with a biography on his computer with him." Tai said. The other two nodded in agreement.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"How could you let this happen to Dawn?!" Izzy asked angrily. "What if she died???"  
"Slow down, Izzy. Dawns' okay now. But right now, we need some information on some guy that attacked Dawn." Matt replied.  
"The guy that attacked Dawn? How do you expect me to find out about him when I have no where to start?"   
"The first place you can start at is Diamond Records. Try to find out all the people who work undercover there." Matt said.  
"Do you actually think that Corneo has something to do with Dawn's encounter?" Joe asked.   
"....Definitely." Matt replied angrily. Izzy logged in and began to look over different websites, when he got to the one he wanted, he couldn't get in, because it was for authorized people. "Shoot...now what?"   
"Don't worry, guys." Izzy said cooly as he stretched. "I can hack into anything. This is just another silly challenge for me. Just watch." After over an hour of configuring, Izzy was finally managed to break into the site. "See? Didn't I tell you?"   
"Good work, Izzy, my man." Tai smirked.  
"All right...now you wanted Corneo's top henchman, right, Matt?" Izzy asked.  
"Yeah. Look for a guy named Vega." Matt replied. Izzy scanned through the files and finally came across the evil henchman that Dawn was talking about. "That's him...that's the guy Dawn had to fight earlier."  
"....These stats don't look too good...." Izzy gulped. "Vega used to be a national hero in his homeland, Spain. He was perminantly banned from that area from doing some really nasty and gorry stuff....This guy is savage, ruthless, and a card-carrying psycho-path. He's practically a mercenary. But I guess he's stickin' with Corneo in order to get paid the big-bucks."  
"So he was hired as an attack-dog for Diamond Records in order to get their musicians and groups back to the company because they don't wanna lose profit, right?" Joe asked.  
"Right." Izzy replied.   
"This makes me really mad." Tai said. "Who would be in their right mind to try to take out such a sweet girl that hasn't done a thing to anyone or anything?"  
"Corneo is the only sick-twisted jerk in this planet. He is the one that has Dawn trapped in his hell-world. We have gotta get her out..." Matt said.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Matt sat on the side of Dawn while she slept and stroked her cheeks gently. Her eyes began to flutter and she turned to see that her vision was clearly able to see Matt with a weak smile.  
"Hey, Dawn...." He said in his silent tone.  
"Matt, I...." Dawn said weakly as she tried to get up, but Matt lightly set her back down.   
"You shouldn't move...you're still trying to recover from your injuries."  
"Matt, that guy....there's something you need to know...." Dawn began.  
"Don't worry. We know everything about him and we're gonna make sure that Corneo and every evil thing that's near him will be vanquished."  
"No, Matt....There's something I haven't....."  
"It's okay, Dawn. You don't need to say anything. You just need to rest right now, okay?" Matt said gently. Dawn's eyes began to close, and eventually she went into a deep sleep.  
~*~*~*~3 days later~*~*~*~  
Matt was making his pasta ravioli, while Dawn went out for a little while. As he was preparing dinner, the phone rang. He looked up at it and walked over to it to answer it.  
"Hello?" He answered.   
"Yeah, is Dawn there?" A guy asked.  
"Umm, she's not here right now. Can I take a message?" Matt asked.  
"Sure. Tell her that she needs to get ready to come back. Tell her it's from the Don. She'll know."  
"....Okay. I'll give it to her." Matt said, thinking in his head that what he said sounded very odd. They both hung up, and just then Dawn came in through the door.  
"Matt, I found the pictures that we took at the mall in the mail. They turned out really good. I already put a couple picture in my locket with the old picture. Is that okay?" Dawn asked  
"Yeah, that's fine." He smiled and then looked at her seriously. "Hey, Dawn?" He asked her.  
"Hmm?" She responded.  
"I got a message for you."  
"What is it for?"  
"Some guy said that you need to get ready to come back and it's from the Don, whatever that means. He said you'd know." Matt explained. Dawn froze completely. She then walked out of the room and Matt was confused. He followed her into his room while she pulled out a slip of paper.  
"Would you mind telling me what's going on?" He asked. Dawn handed him the slip of paper and he began reading; "'The Parents of, Dawn Parker, Elena and Scott Parker, have agreed that Dawn will become a musician and make records, touring for three years and have a vacation for three weeks when she grows to be the certain age'.... Dawn, what is this?"  
"It's the contract on which my parents and Diamond records have agreed on..." She replied, feeling her eyes become watery.  
"But what does that have to do with anything?"  
"Think Matt....How long has it been since I first got here exactly?"  
"I think two and a half weeks..." Matt said and paused to look up at her. "You're leaving when the vacations' up?"  
"....yes."  
"Dawn, why didn't you say anything to me about this?"  
"I couldn't, Matt. I just knew that you looked so happy to see me and I was extatic to see you. I couldn't take that happiness away from you. I knew that this relationship wasn't going to work." Dawn said, having tears fall down her cheeks. Matt looked at her in disbelief.  
"So, you're leaving again?? When I haven't seen you for three years, you're going to take off. This whole time that we were together....did it mean anything to you?? Did you even think about how I would feel about this?"  
"I thought about a lot of things, Matt! This time alone we've had did mean something to me! I knew that you were going to be heartbroken, and I was going to be too. I can't do anything about this. It's not like I can give it up..."  
"They've got you trapped, Dawn! And you're gonna die sooner or later of this because something will happen. You've got to break away....If you don't, Dawn, that fire in your heart that I love so much is going to burn out. You can't let them do that to you!"  
"I don't have a choice. If I did, I woulda broken up with that company the moment they pushed me in their door. I can't do anything about it. If I refused to go, they woulda killed me...and you. They knew that you were my weakness, and I don't want anything to happen to you..."  
"....I know what we can do. We'll take you into the Digiworld. That way, they could never find you."  
"Matt...I can't run like that. Sooner or later, I'd have to come out and then they'll get me, like they're waiting for me."  
"I can't afford to lose you again, Dawn! I've lost you once...and I don't want it to happen again. These past few weeks have been so...incredible. I've never had my life go so well. If I lose you, I lose everything. You're a big part to me, and I would not have any strength to go on. I'd give anything for you....even my life. I want you to stay and live with me so we both can be...." Matt said, trailing off.  
"...Happy? I can never be happy until this thing is over with...That's when I'll be happy. But until then....we have to keep our distance.....see other people if it comes to it...."  
"No! Listen to yourself, Dawn! I know you and I were meant for each other! We are a perfect match!"  
"How can I be with you if I'm never there, Matt? I shouldn't hold you from anything you want. If you want to date other girls...I say, go with it. You'll never be happy when you keep seeing me and then having a real difficult goodbye. No one deserves to suffer like that."  
"Dawn, we can work things out....I can..." Matt began, but Dawn cut him off by saying, "No! We can't work this out....We are not able to see each other. With you and the DigiWorld and me with my music. We've become two people that have grown way too far apart."  
"You can't do this to me or yourself. What about what we coulda had all these years of being away and then reunited?? What we COULDA had if the Digithing hadn't come around! What we COULDA had if your parents and that stupid company didn't sign that agreement! You and I could've been happy together without any of those things...."  
"The DigiWorld means a lot to you and me, and it's our responsibility. I can't hold that responsibility...and that's what makes me a bad Digidestined. I'm not meant for it. You were, Matt. My destiny is leading me somewhere else. I'm sorry. I know without you guys that are my great friends, it's just not the same when I'm out there."  
"Let me come with you."   
"Matt, I wish you could, but you can't. I'm not allowed to have anyone with me. I don't want you to get mixed in with the wrong people. I'll try to e-mail you as much as I can. Everyday at least."  
"And I'll e-mail you five letters a day telling you how much I love you and how much I miss you..." He said and wrapped his arms around her tightly, never wanting to let go. Dawn felt like this was getting more difficult to say goodbye to him...  
~*~*~*~The next day in the early morning~*~*~*~  
Matt got up early the next morning and crept quietly out of bed, while Dawn was still sleeping. He got dressed quickly and silently so he didn't wake her. When he was done, Matt went over to Dawn's side of the bed where she slept so peacefully. He gently touched her soft face and then kissed her, lightly brushing his lips up against hers. I'm sorry Dawn, Matt thought. But now I am too involved now. I can't turn away without knowing you're all right now. It's up to me to stop this nonsense. Matt walked out of the room quietly and got to the phone and called Tai, explaining the whole situation to him and then telling him to call everyone up to meet outside of the school. Tai agreed and hung up. Matt went into T.K's room and slowly got him out of bed.  
"Get up, T.K," Matt whispered loud enough that he could hear.  
"Wh....wha??" T.K managed to say all groggily.  
"Time to get going."  
"...Going? Where are we going at this hour....?"  
"I don't have time to explain right now. Get dressed so we can go meet Tai and the others."  
"What about Dawn? Aren't you going to wake her up too?"  
"...No. Dawn needs to stay here because this is important to tell everyone that's about her. Now, this problem has gotten to be way too big and it has to be stopped. Now let's get a move on..." Matt said as he grabbed his coat.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Ohh...." Davis groaned. "Why do we have to get up so early in the morning?! It's six o'clock!"  
"Yeah, Matt. Everyone is sleeping around this time. Why did you call a meeting? Couldn't it've waited until later in the afternoon?" Tai added, rubbing his eyes from being so tired.  
"Guys, we have a serious situation right now." Matt replied. "I called you up early because I don't know how much time we have left and if I had waited any later, who knows whats' going to happen to Dawn."  
"What? What's wrong with Dawn?" Yolei asked.  
"She's leaving for America soon." Matt replied and everyone fell over. "You called us all for that?!" Davis asked.  
"This is important. Now you've all heard about Diamond Records. They are controling Dawn and she can't escape their grasp that they have holding on to her. This company, I think, is the one who killed Dawn's parents just so they could have Dawn."  
"Can't she break away from the contract?" Sora asked.  
"No, the moment she does or tries, is the moment everything will collapse. All her friends will be dead....and that's us. We can't let them torture Dawn like this. Once she leaves, it'll be another three years when we see her and only get to see her for three weeks."  
"That's terrible." Tai said.  
"I know. I didn't want Dawn to know about this meeting because...I don't think she wants us involved. But we are going to get involved. We'll stop them for all the things they have done."  
"But how can we take on a whole big major company, when we're just a bunch of kids? It's insane." Cody replied. "That part I haven't thought out yet...." Matt said, sitting down on a chair.  
"I can devise a sure shot plan that may be able to break into the security system, and have you guys sneak in. It might take me a while to decode everything though, but don't worry. I'll get to work on it right away." Izzy said.  
"Do you think our digimon could help?" Davis asked.  
"...That could be a possibility." T.K said.  
"It's too bad they can't go there to digivolve. Think of all the people that would see them." Kari explained.  
"No one tell Dawn about this. We have to keep her away from this plan, so no one blow it." Matt said.  
"Why isn't Dawn allowed to know? She is apart of this too, you know..." Joe said.  
"I know...but...as much as she doesn't want us in this, we're gonna be all going to be in this....until the very end. No matter what happens." Matt replied. They all nodded in agreement.   
"Since today we have no school, I say it's neccessary to form a type of action. Let's go to my house to make a more stratedgic plan." Izzy suggested. "That way, we can kill two birds with one stone by being able to transport from there to the Digital World if we need to."  
"Good idea, Izzy." Tai replied. "We better get going now so that we can have a full day of planning."  
"Right." Matt agreed.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Dawn awoke to the sun streaming in from the window of the far side of the room. Her eyes fluttered and soon she was awake. Dawn sat up straight and when she looked over on the other side of the bed, she noticed that Matt was not there. He's probably up already, Dawn thought and smiled. She got herself her robe and walked out into the kitchen. She looked around and T.K and Matt were both no where to be seen.  
"...Matt...? T.K....?" Dawn called out in the apartment, but no one answered. She checked all the rooms and they were all the same: empty. She went back into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Dawn then saw a piece of paper on the refrigerator. She got back up and took the piece of paper off it and began reading.  
Dawn,  
T.K and I went out early to take care of some buisness. I decided to let you sleep since you looked really tired last night. I'll be back soon. Don't worry a thing about us. See ya!  
Love,  
Matt  
"Business?" Dawn questioned. "I wonder what they would be doing that would be so important...Especially this early in the morning."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Okay, first things' first...." Matt began once they closed the door to Izzys' room. "We have to make things as though they aren't that suspicious-looking to Dawn. It must be absolutely inconspicuous so that she doesn't find out and keep us out of the idea."  
"All of us have to keep our mouths' shut, for a starter...." Izzy replied and all of a sudden, they all turned to Davis.   
"...What? What are you all looking at me for??" Davis asked.  
"You know EXACTLY why we're looking at you." Tai replied.   
"Oh, C'MON!! How can I be singled out almost EVERY time?!" He whined.  
"Because you're usually the cause of things." Yolei remarked.  
"Am not!"  
"Keep it down, will ya? My parents are still trying to sleep." Izzy said.  
"Sorry."  
"All right. We all keep the mouths' zipped until we've finished business?" Sora asked.  
"We all will....But...." Mimi began and then looked down on the ground.  
"But what?" Matt asked.  
"The Digimon Emperor....I've seen the way he's looked at Dawn and have been noticing that he really has only concentrated his attacks on her....Do you think it's possible he might be seeing what her strengths and weakness' are? Is it possible he could be after her for some odd reason?"  
"Mimi's right." Kari added. "Do you think there's a possible connection between Don Corneo and Ken? It seems really weird that they both want Dawn. One wants her like a slave, and the other...."  
"...Might want Dawn's powers." T.K finished. Everyone's eyes widened.  
"Do you really think so?" Joe asked. "Who would want to take her powers? Everyone knows not to get on her bad side, otherwise, you were going to wish you were never born."  
"Yeah, and it seems kinda difficult to take out Dawn. She's really strong and she'll put up a fight until the end...Even if it means death to her and her enemy." Tai said.  
"This problem seems to be getting bigger and bigger now...It's getting scary..." Cody said as he crossed his arms.   
"But if the Digimon Emperor could put Dawn under a mind-control spell...just imagine how much distruction that could be caused. Dawn would take out the whole DigiWorld with all the Digimon with it." Matt said.  
"She could do some serious damage..." Izzy thought aloud.  
"And if we can't stop her....who can?" Sora asked.  
"Let's not think about that." Yolei crossed her arms. "Just thinking about what would happen is giving me the creeps. We just gotta make sure that nothing happens. That's all." Suddenly, Tai heard some beeping. He looked at his Digivice.  
"Agumon must need help. He's trying to communicate with me through the Digivice." He said.  
"There must be somethin' up in the DigiWorld. Let's go. We'll finish this matter when we get back." Davis implied  
"I better go." Joe said. "I'll have to meet up with you guys later. I have to study for a major test I have coming up."  
"Me too. I have a shoot-out downtown for some new clothes some company is selling. Let us know when you need help by sending us e-mail from the computers at school, okay?" Mimi added. The two got their stuff and left.  
"Are we ready to go to the DigiWorld?" Cody asked.  
"Yeah...we're ready." Tai nodded.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Matt and T.K are sure taking a long time..." Dawn thought aloud. "I wonder what's been keeping them. I wish they told me where they actually went so I wouldn't feel so worried..." She got out of her pijamas and into real clothes. "Maybe I'll just go check up on some places to see where they might have gone...starting with Tai's house." Dawn picked up her bookbag and set out on her small quest.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"AGUUMOON!" Tai shouted. "Hey Agumon!!! C'mon! Come on out!"  
"Tai!" Agumon shouted as he came up to him with Batugurlmon coming up from behind.  
"Agumon!"  
"Batugurlmon!" Matt said, seemingly surprised. "What are you doing here?"  
"I thought Dawn would be here." She replied and looked around to notice only Dawn wasn't there. "Hey, where is Dawn?"  
"Dawns' not coming." Matt replied.  
"Why not? Is she sick or something?"  
"No, Batugurlmon. She's fine...Listen, Batugurlmon. I need a favor to ask of you."  
"Sure thing, Matt. What do ya need?"  
"We need you to keep Dawn out of the DigiWorld. If she comes here, have her go back. Try to think up things that could persuade her to go back."  
"But why?"  
"Because..." Tai shrugged.  
"Because we think that the Digimon Emperor might want to come at Dawn for her powers. I know she's going to want to...And it musn't happen... Please, Batugurlmon. For her sake, keep her out for a while, okay?"  
"I dunno, Matt..."  
  



	3. Part III

  
"Promise me, Batugurlmon. You probably feel the same way as I do for Dawn's safety. Nothing should happen to her, right? Well, I'm asking you to keep her away so that Ken doesn't get a hold of her." Matt asked, giving her his concerned look. Batugurlmon stared hard at the ground. She didn't want to lie to her, but if Matt has a really good reason to this, then she guessed that it would be for Dawn's good.  
"All right...I'll do it." She sighed.  
"Thank you Batugurlmon. You have no idea how much this means to me." Matt smiled and then turned to the rest of the group.  
"C'mon! We don't have time! The Digimon Emperor is moving fast and he's not holding back anything." Agumon said. The whole gang ran behind Agumon as they approached an empty wasteland, where there were dinosaur Digimon everywhere.  
"Hey! Those are Darktarrnmon! Their bites are really nasty and they have a powerful attack called Dark Strike! You don't want to get caught in that." Kari explained. Suddenly, Gabumon came up from behind them.  
"Gabumon." Matt said.  
"Sorry I'm late. I came here as fast as I could."  
"Better to be here then to not be here at all." T.K said.  
"True."  
"Are you guys ready to armor digivolve?" Izzy asked the new digidestined.   
"Ready whenever you give us the signal." Davis replied.  
"All right...Get ready on my mark..." Izzy began as he put his hand in the air.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"I'm sorry, Dawn. Tai, Kari and the others aren't here." Mrs. Kamiya explained to the door when Dawn had asked about if Tai were there. "The two left the house very early this morning. They didn't say why, only that there was some important 'business' that they needed to take care of, whatever that meant."  
"Did they mention anything about T.K and Matt?" Dawn asked.  
"No, I'm afraid not." Mrs. Kamiya replied.  
"Oh...Well, thanks, Mrs. Kamiya. I really appreciate it." Dawn said and and walked away from the apartment. Weird, She thought. If Tai and Kari aren't there, probably, it's the same way for the others...and there's only one place as to where they could go. I'm going to go to the shool's computer room...  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Nova Blast!!" Greymon shouted, shooting about a huge fireball.  
"Dark Strike!" Darktarrnmon encountered. Its attack went right threw Greymon's Nova Blast and then hit him.  
"Your attacks are useless!" The Digimon Emperor grinned. "Not so big without your little FRIEND!"  
"We don't need Dawn to take you out!" Sora said angrily.  
"Oh really? Let's just see about that!"  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~   
Dawn walked the streets of Tokyo, searching for the school. It must be around here somewhere, she thought. God, I wish I could remember exactly what route Matt and I took. She looked down at her locket and opened it up to find their picture. Oh, Matt...I need some guidance...help me...Dawn thought. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. She thought of where the school was and then it suddenly, she knew where to go, because the route appeared in her mind, and that's where she headed. She eventually got into the school and went inside.   
"Matt? Tai? Sora? Izzy? Where is everyone?" Dawn called out until she got to the computer room. She went by the computer with the gates to the Digital World, and saw it was open. There was also a note at the bottom of the screen. 'Joe & Mimi, if you are reading this message, that means that we are in great trouble. Please come to the DigiWorld as soon as you guys can to bring reinforcements. Izzy.' Dawn looked at it in surprise. Why didn't they tell me, she thought.   
"They need me. Joe and Mimi probably won't make it on time. I'll email Izzy and tell him I'm on my way..." She said as she typed fast and used her Digivice to go through the gate. Suddenly, Izzy felt a buzz on his Digivice. He then had a shocked look on his face.  
"Tai! Matt!" He shouted. The two moved out of the way and moved to see the troubled Izzy. "What's wrong, Izzy?"  
"Take a look at this..." He said. "Dawns' planning on coming to the DigiWorld. She must have found my message that was left for Joe and Mimi. By now, Dawn is probably on her way here now to help out."  
"No. We can't let her get involved. Someone has to get her back the real world otherwise she's going to get hurt." Matt said.  
"I'll go..." Tai said.  
"You can't. Everyone needs you here...."  
"Well, someone has to go!" Tai said. Suddenly the Darktarrnmon snatched at them violently with their big hands. The three began squirming about, but it was useless, for it seemed that the Darktarrnmon were too strong. During that time, Dawn had just arrived and she began calling out for Batugurlmon, and eventually, the little Digimon came to her aid.  
"Dawn!" She exclaimed.  
"Batugurlmon, where are the others? I haven't seen them and I just found an e-mail from Izzy. Is everything all right?" Dawn asked.  
"The others are fine. It was really just a false alarm...no big deal, let's get you back to the real world now...." Batugurlmon replied as she pushed Dawn back to the portal, but she refused the pushing.  
"Wait a second, Batugurlmon...You're lying to me. Tell me what's going on?" Dawn demanded.  
"Absolutely nothing. You know how Davis likes to play tricks...He put the message under Izzy's name. Isn't that funny? Now let's get you back and-"  
"No. Now I know you're lying, Batugurlmon. Tell me what's going on. I'm worried for Matt and the others." Dawn said.  
"...."  
"Batugurlmon, I'm asking you. This could be a big problem, and I think they'll be needing me. Please tell me where they are."  
"I'll right. I'll take you there...but don't say I said anything to you about where they were to Matt."  
"Matt told you to not tell me??"  
"....Kinda....oops...."  
"...We'll talk about this later between you, me, and Matt when this is over with. Right now it's time to Digivolve, Batugurlmon!"   
"Right!" Batugurlmon agreed as Dawn took out her Digivice. "Batugurlmon digivolve to......Vampressmon!!!" Meanwhile, All the Digidestined were all tied up with their worn-out Digimon, and The Digimon Emperor, smiling as evil as ever.  
"Well, it looks like I caught you..." The Emperor said. "This was easier than I thought. You weaklings don't stand a chance against me. But you're the perfect bait for that ancient Digidestined to come here. The sooner, the quicker I get my powers...."  
"Dawns' not going to surrender to some loser like you, KEN!" Davis shouted.  
"Don't ever call me KEN!! It's the Digimon Emperor!"  
"I don't care what is! You won't last a second with Dawn because she is going to plow you down with her awesome powers!"  
"Excuse me if I'm not shivering with fear."  
"HE----Y!" Everyone turned to see that Dawn was with Vampressmon as they approached them. Matt shook his head in fear. "Hey, you! The freak with the clothes that need the fashion police! Give me back my friends right now!" Dawn said angrily.  
"That's impossible...As you can see, since I gathered them all up, the Darktarrnmon are now hungry and they are their apetizers."  
"Don't cross me, Ken...It doesn't look pretty when I'm angry. Let them go right now and I will spare you the extra pain."  
"Ohh...I'm scared....but I am willing to make a trade with you. Give up your powers to me and I will set your friends free, sparing their lives."  
"Don't do it, Dawn!!" Tai shouted.  
"Just take him out with one blow!" Matt said.  
"Right!" Dawn agreed and then turned to her Digimon. "Vampressmon; We attack together."  
"You got it!"  
"DRAGON--BLOW!!"  
"DEADLY SCREAMS!!" The two attacks blew up the area once it hit the Digimon Emperor, but when the smoke cleared, he still stood there.  
"Such a foolish girl. Try that again, and you're friends will be food. What will you do, Dawn? Either your powers, or your fellow Digidestined, it's your call." He grinned. Dawn was surprised. She didn't know what to do and then looked up at Matt, who looked very mad at the Emperor. He then turned to her and gave her the look to not give up.  
"Not your powers, Dawn." Matt said. "You can never give them up."  
"Your powers belong in your hands and your hands only." Tai added.  
"You cannot surrender it, not even for us...." Kari said. Dawn looked at all of them and felt some tears coming.  
"What's your choice? Times' running out! Are you going to abandon them?" The Emperor said as he laughed, but then stopped immediately when he heard her say, "...Never." Everyone looked at her, surprised at her decision. Vampressmon looked at her in concern.  
"What are you talking about, Dawn?" She asked.  
"...I'm sorry." Dawn began. "I can't turn my back on them. Without my friends, it's just not the same...I give up."  
"Dawn! Fight him!" T.K said.  
"I can't. I know I can beat him....and then....you'll get hurt....and I couldn't bare that..." Dawn replied, feeling more tears falling down her cheeks. How it hurt Matt that he couldn't wipe away those tears for Dawn, and say it was all right. He wish she never said yes and gave in...He wished this whole thing never happened. She's risking her life for us....Matt thought over and over.   
"All right then. Time for my feeding on power..." The Emperor said. He stuck out his hand to her and suddenly, Dawn began to glow red. The Digital Emperor took huge amounts of her magic at a time. Dawn screamed out in pain, feeling it getting worse and worse. Her locket that she was wearing began to start blinking a white color, which meant that Dawns' energy was almost down to its' last. Dawn's clothes vanished with ribbons surrounding her body instead. Matt cried out for her, but it was too late. She was drained out of everything. Dawn's eyes had darkened and looked like that there was no life in her, but the the thing she did was breathe, but hardly.  
"This power is incredible! Just think of the damage I can cause now!!" The Digimon Emperor said with excitement and then turned to his prisoners. He let the ropes vanish from them, and they all fell to the ground. Matt got up quickly, along with Tai following, and ran over to Dawn. He picked her up slowly and held her close. Matt was at the point where he was ticked and turned back to the emperor.  
"You...you bastard!!! You're gonna pay!!!" He shouted.  
"Someones' a little bit touchy...Oh, I almost forgot..." he replied as he used his magic and within no time, Dawn had vanished from Matt's arms and went into the Digimon Emperor's arms, as he carried her. Matt stood up.  
"Give her back!!" He said, but he didn't listen and floated away and disappeared. Matt ran after him, but he wasn't able to get to him. "GIVE-HER-BACK!!!!" He dropped to his knees and shook his head. He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs her name, but he knew it just wouldn't do any good.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
The Digital Emperor arrived back into the real world, with Dawn in his arms. He looked at her and smiled evily. Now to get her to Corneo, he thought. It seems pathetic to think that this girl has ultimate powers and is the Digidestin's SAVIOR. Hah! I've seen much better....Still....this amazing power that I have makes me invincible.....I wonder why she gave herself up so easily? She just surrendered...was it really because she didn't want her friends to get hurt? Fool.....  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"What do we do now?" Yolei asked. "We don't know where exactly Ken is going and while he has Dawn, we are completely screwed."  
"It's not over yet guys. Now I'm certain that Ken and Don Corneo are working together! Let's return to the real world now!" Matt said.  
"But, why?" Davis asked, but Matt snapped at him quickly by saying, "Davis, I don't have time for you to ask stupid questions. Dawn is going to die if we don't do something! You wanna stay here and sit on your ass, go ahead. I know he's probably going to Diamond records to see Corneo and that's where I'm goin'!" Matt said and walked off.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Here she is," Ken said as he placed her down on Corneo's couch. He stood up from his desk and smiled.  
"Good work, Mr. Itchijouji. Did you get your power that I promised you?" He replied.  
"Yes...and I'm very satisfied with it. I should thank you for letting me know about this girl."  
"Oh? Why is that?"  
"Not only for the power that I've recieved, I found out that she is their weakness......now, I'm able to destroy them."  
"I'm glad to see that you are satisfied, Mr. Itchijouji. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a ceremony to prepare for in honor of this little girl....Good day, Mr. Itchijouji." He said and walked away. Corneo sat back at his desk and pondered. Now, I can have my revenge, he thought. I promised Koaru that I would destroy everything he held dear in his heart. You took Ifalna away from me, and after I took away both of your lives, I shall eventually take away your daughter's. I can't kill her right now...I have to let the whole world see her death. Police won't be able to stop me. Once Dawn is destroyed, I will come into complete power and will be able to rule the world....Mr. Itchijouji, enjoy your last moments of ruling the Digital World, for I will eventually take over that too....Anyone who stands in my way will be obliterated.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Matt! Tai! Sora!" Mimi shouted as she ran towards them with Joe right behind her. "I just got the message. Is everything okay now?"  
"The Digimon Emperor has Dawn and he's probably taking her to Diamond Records." Davis replied.  
"What-?!" Joe and Mimi exclaimed at the same time.  
"This is a serious situation!" Batugurlmon said. "And it's all my fault I let Dawn get captured..."   
"It's no ones' fault for what happened to Dawn!" Biyomon said. "There was nothing we could do! But now we're gonna do something....and end this!"  
"Right. Our Digimon should be able to take them all out! This'll be easy!" Tai said.  
"Keep your guards up. Anything could happen. Even though this may be easy, you must be careful. This may be one of the hardest battles yet we're probably going to be facing. With them having Dawn, this is going to make it difficult and it'll only work against us as a disadvantage." Matt explained.   
"Whatever happens, if we go into battle and might face Dawn, we have to go full force on her....even if she is our friend." Izzy said. Matt looked over at him and felt overwhelmed. "I can't fight Dawn..." He said. "You guys are going to have to do this one without me fighting. I'll be there to help Dawn..."  
"We need you, Matt." Joe said. "You're one of the strongest people here. Now is not the time to back down. I understand perfectly where you're coming from, from not wanting to hurt Dawn because you care for her, but you would do her a great deal if you helped stopped her. She's very powerful, and if she goes into control of Corneo, we then have to try out hardest to break her free from him. That's what she would want you to do! You can't back away from this. If you do care for her, then help out! You understand, don't you?? She would do the same exact for you if she knew that you were in trouble!"  
"Joe's right...." Yolei replied. Matt looked down onto the floor and then glanced back up.  
"All right! Let's go to Diamond Records and free Dawn!" Matt said and they all ran to the building as fast as their legs could carry them. They ran to the reocrod company, they found a rather large crowd in front of it. They were all yelling and screaming in anger.  
"What's going on over here?" Tai asked as he looked around at the large crowd.   
"I wonder what they're doing," T.K said. When they caught a good glimpse of the stage in front, they were in shock to find that Dawn was tied down, looking unconscious, and Corneo there as well.  
"This ANCIENT is no savior! She'll take your children away from you! She'll devour your souls and keep them for herself....to never be set free! Now, people of Tokyo, do you want this beast to stay in this city? Or do you want her to burn in hell where she belongs?" Don Corneo asked. The roar of the crowd was loud in anger saying yes a million times.  
"Stop it!" Matt shouted as he weaved his way through the crowd. "Leave her alone!!" He got up on the stage and turned to the crowd. Dawn managed to look up at him and said, "Matt..." softly.  
"Listen to me! People of Tokyo! Dawn is innocent! She only fights for the good of people! She never fights against them unless they were evil or something! I've known her since I was a child and I think you're getting the wrong impression of her from the wrong guy!"  
"What do you know, kid?!" One shouted.  
"She probably has mind-control over him!"  
"No one is controling me but myself! Look, Dawn may be an ancient, yes....but has any of you, that know her, actually SEEN her do any kidnapping or soul-taking? Words of advice for you people; don't take advice from a sleezbag like Corneo here. If someone that's gonna be damned to hell, he's your man. He's the one that slaved Dawn to the music business. He's the one that killed her parents....He gave Dawn the worse three years of her life, working for him as a slave...no friends....not one single thing. She had to work for Corneo otherwise he was going to make her life miserable...He was going to try to kill her closest friends....Corneo BLACKMALED her!!"  
"That's right! He did!" Izzy yelled coming up on stage! The people in the crowd looked at each other, now feeling confused. Don felt like he was losing to the crowd to the kids' persuasion. He didn't want Dawn to live through this....She deserved every minute of suffering...especially what her father put her through. First Koaru, and now it's Dawn's turn to feel pain, he thought.  
"But how do we know that Dawn is good?" He asked, finally coming up with a plan. "You've all heard about how to determine the good and the bad ancients apart by their angelic wings. This will proof the final test as to what she is!" Dawn looked up at the crowd and shook her head. Don't do it, Matt thought.  
"You can't make her!" Kari said as she came up with Tai, Sora, Davis, and the others. "Dawn, don't do it! Don't show them your wings!"  
"Please don't, Dawn! You know how much pain it gives you!" Mimi shouted.  
"What the hell are all these kids coming up here for?! Restrain them!" Don said angrily. Guards came by and grabbed them all, holding them and keeping them away from Dawn, trying to keep away from making contact. Don looked at Dawn and grinned.  
"Come on, Dawn..." He began. "Are you afraid to show your wings?" Dawn didn't answer.  
"I won't do what you want me to do, Corneo..." She grunted.  
"You're just a little bit shy, that's all. Here, let me help you open them up....they must be all cramped up inside..." Corneo said as he pushed a button on a machine. The thunder surged through the whole contraption, finally getting down towards Dawn. She tried to squirm out of the pole she was tied down to, but it was too late. It zapped her and she screamed up in the most agony she's ever been in. Her back felt like sharp knives were coming out from the inside, but it was her wings that were coming out with a lot of force. Dawn tried resisting, but the wings came out and everyone gasped and screamed in horror....  
They were black...A pure black. Dawn put her head down and felt like she was going to cry from all that pain and that she failed to keep a promise to her own father. I'm sorry, father, she thought. I meant to keep them in. I didn't mean for this to happen...  
"Ha, ha, ha! You see!? She really IS a demon!" Corneo roared in laughter.  
"You jerk!" Yolei snapped. "How could you do something like that to her?!" Matt managed to get out of one of the guard's grip and ran over to Dawn to hug her tight. Dawn cried softly against his chest while he stroke her hair, trying to assure her that everything would be all right. Everyone was surprised to see the two like this, even Corneo.  
"What are you doing, kid?!! Get away from that beast!" One said.  
"Stop calling her that!" Matt said to the crowd. "Look at Dawn's face for one second! She is terrified out of her mind and all you can do is make her feel like she is an outsider, when she has lived here most of her life! Why are you hating her? Are you going to kill something you fear everytime you come across it?! Every little detail?! Come on, people! She's only sixteen!"  
"The only reson why you're sticking up for her, boy, is because you like her!" Someone shouted. Matt looked at the crowd.  
"No...that's not right..." He began and Dawn glanced up at him. "I do like her, but...I'm in love her..." People chatted amongst themselves and Matt continued. "Yeah, you all heard me! I've been in love with her for God knows how long and I thank Him for bringing her to me. She was my only friend when I was little because no one liked me and I didn't like them. Dawn has tried really hard for years and years to keep me out of trouble....She did a good job of it! I don't know if any of you remember this, but Dawn was one of the kids that saved this city from Myotismon! She fought for good! She's no terrorist..."  
"She's the best friend you could ever wish for...Just ask people who know her..." Sora said.  
"Dawns' done more for me than anyone..." Izzy added.  
"She could be anyones' friend if you just give her a chance..." T.K said. Dawn was released from her chair and she slowly and weakly stood up. Matt tried to help her up, but Dawn refused the assistance.  
"Tokyo," She said weakly. "I am not evil.... My wings are black...So what? Does it mean that all ancients with black wings are bad? My father, Kaoru, was a black-winged angel. My mother was white. SHE changed him and he turned out to be a good man. Just like normal humans, ancients can change too! I...not a day in my life, have tried to hurt anyone in any way...I cherish life....every moment of it. You may think that I'm just saying this to persuade you, but that's not what I'm trying to do. What I'm trying to do is remind you of not judging a book by its' cover! Have you all forgotten?! I only ask you to not judge me for what I am and for who I am. Please.... Give me a chance...."  
"Don't listen to her! She's just trying to brain-wash you!" Corneo scowled  
"I'm not trying to pull any tricks on you! If you want to talk about someone tricking you, talk to MR. Corneo. He tricked you all in believing that all ancients are bad. Well, they're not!"  
"Shut up!!!" He said and slapped her in the face. Dawn fell back a slight and looked at him in anger. Matt got up and looked at Corneo with extreme fury.  
"How dare you hit my girlfriend! Go get him, Gabumon! Time to warp-digivolve!" Matt said.  
"Right! Gabumon warp-digivolve to.....MetalGarurumon!"  
"Agumon, you're turn! Get in there!" Tai said to his Digimon. Agumon nodded in reply and went in, saying "Agumon warp-digivolve to.....WarGreymon!!". The two digimon went in and attacked fast. The people that were there were frightened and began to run away from the area as fast as they could. MetalGarurumon charged at Corneo with extreme force and used one of his attacks, but it wasn't able to scratch him. WarGreymon followed up and did his most ultimate attack, and still it was uneffected. Corneo encountered their attacks by causing a huge explosion. The Digimon flew backwards fast and hit into some buildings that were close-by. Batugurlmon came in quickly to digivolve into Vampressmon and became a back-up.  
"Deadly Screams!" Vampressmon shouted and the violent attack aimed right at Corneo, but not even Vampressmon could touch him.  
"There's not even a dent on him!" Mimi said. "There's no one that powerful, is there?!"  
"I refuse to give up on this! Night Shade!!" Vampressmon and let out strong amounts of her attack. Corneo casted a reflect beam and it sent Vampressmon's attack back at her and the rest of the Digimon.  
"Oh no! Vampressmon!" Dawn cried out.  
"MetalGarurumon!" Matt said. Mimi looked over at Corneo in anger and started to run at him.  
"You jerk!! I'm going to make you wish you were never born!!" She cried in anger.  
"Mimi!! No!" Yolei shouted. Just before Mimi could get close to Corneo, her whole body froze. She couldn't move it an inch if she put all her effort into it. She began yelling and shouting. It was Corneo who was trying to put her under control.  
"No! Stay out of my head! Leave me alone!" She sobbed and dropped to her knees. She kept fighting it, trying to resist it, and it was working.  
"Mimi!!" Matt said. Dawn stood back up, now feeling like it was her turn to fight. I...can do this, she thought. Matt looked up at her in surprise. "Dawn, you can't fight! You're still wounded! It's not worth it to see you get hurt like this!"  
"I have no choice, Matt. I may not be strong, but I can still do it. I'll show him not to mess with the Digidestined! Mess with one, and you mess with them all!!" She thrusted forward at Corneo with all of courage and revenge. She began trying to take him out by using punches and kicks. She tried with all her might, and yet, as fast as she was, she was still not quick enough to even hurt him. She finally took out her daggers, and began swinging them around aggressively. Dawn finally slashed her dagger and it cut across his face. It caused blood to spill out from his face and it drove him even further in anger to kick her in the stomach and then elbow her into the back so she could fall down.   
"You'll pay for that!!!!" He scowled. He then tried to take over her mind, and was successful. She had a dark red in her eyes and she was glowing. "Now....I want you to kill the Digidestined...go." She charged first at Kari, who had been closest to her and began attacking viciously. Kari dodged quickly and managed to get out of the way.  
"Matt, we have to attack her now!" Tai said.   
"I....I can't do that, Tai!" Matt said, shaking his head at him.   
"What do you mean, you can't?! You have to! Have MetalGarurumon attack Dawn!"  
"No...! I don't wanna hurt her!"  
"Damnit, Matt! Just do it! It's for her own good. Friend or not, she has to be stop otherwise she's going to make some serious damage occur!" Matt was silent for a moment. He said he would do it, but he didn't and couldn't do it to Dawn. Matt shook his head and looked at Dawn's new cold version of her....It has to be done, but....what if I tried talking to her? He thought. He walked over to her and gave her a sweet smile. She looked back at him and came over to him.  
"Dawn, it's me, Matt. Don't you even remember?" He asked calmly. She didn't answer, only attacked. Matt jumped away, and she managed to break in half a boulder. "You gotta listen to me, Dawn! Corneos' controling you and you've got to break free from it. Please, try! Remember the time when we were really little both of our families went to dinner, and I wore a tux and I accidentally spilled spaghetti on myself?" Dawn's eyes twinged, and faltered back to her normal color, but then returned to the red-eyes. She attacked once more, but this time barely creased at Matt's shirt, ripping it.  
"And then," Matt continued. "you thought I seemed miserable because I was the only one who had spaghetti on me so you poured some on yourself? And it eventually turned out to be a food fight and how much fun it was?" It wasn't working and Dawn just ignored it and continued to attack.  
"Okay, I know that wasn't exactly the best memory....Uhh....Remember the night of our first kiss, Dawn??" He asked. She stopped and once again, her eyes turned normal.   
"....First kiss?" Dawn repeated.  
"Yeah, remember? It wasn't too long ago! We were tickling each other silly and I just had to kiss you on the lips! What really amazed me is that you kissed back! I'll always remember that, Dawn!! That was our memory. Ours. No one elses'. I love you Dawn and I want to be able to kiss you and hug you and comfort you until the day I die!"  
"Matt...." She said and her whole mind-control faded away. Corneo looked at anger and started the mind controling again. "No, you don't! Dawn, kill him now!" The power was stronger, and it hurt Dawn so much to refuse.   
"Dawn!" Matt shouted, but Tai and Izzy held him back.  
"Don't come any closer, Matt! Corneo wants me to hurt you!" Dawn said slowly, feeling the mind-control running through her body, feeling huge amounts of pain. She was then was forced to stand up, trying really hard to resist, but it was useless. Dawn began to walk towards them.  
"Aaargghhh!! I....I won't do it!!! Stop it!! Don't make me!!! Please!!! Don't make me hurt any....of them!!!" She hesitated. She pulled out her sword and kept walking. Tai and Izzy both tried to pull Matt back to get away, but he stood still. He didn't want to move an inch. The two backed away slowly, without Matt and tried to stay away from Dawn.  
"Matt...what are you doing? Get away from Dawn! You heard her! She is being controlled! Get away!" Tai said.  
"I won't back away..." He replied. "I'm going to try to help Dawn."  
"Matt, please...!" Dawn pleaded, feeling tears come down. "you've got to get away from me!"  
"I won't." Matt said. "I know you can stop this. Only you can end it. I know you can...." Dawn then took a swing with her sword and creased Matt since he dodged the attack, and it cut a tree in half. Mimi then came up from behind and held her by the waist. He fell backwards and hit his head on a rock.  
"Dawn! You've got to stop! If I can fight it, you can too! Try!" She said. Dawn felt more pain rush through her whole body. She knew she was being told to kill Matt. Dawn suddenly pushed Mimi off of her and walked over to Matt, where he was laying. She kept trying to refuse the power, but her powers were still not strong enough. She was near Matt with the sword near at hand. Matt looked at her seriously, his heart racing a million miles a minute, and he wasn't going to move away from her attack. She raised her sword high in the air, just about ready to strike, but when she came down fast with it, she didn't hit Matt. She stuck the sword in the ground hard and deep. Dawn kneeled down, exhausted from her attempt.  
"That's right...I...I won't do it...." She said.  
"Good girl." Mimi said, patting her on the shoulder and giving her a smile.  
"I knew...you could do it....Dawn..." Matt said. Dawn stood up and looked back to see that Corneo was furious.  
"You broke out of my mind-control....you're a complete fool to even defy me when you started....now you shall die by my hands."  
"We'll see who dies first, Corneo...." Dawn said. He disappeared quickly, confusing Dawn as to where he could have been. She looked around quickly, keeping her guard up. Everyone else tried to get up to go help her, but they were all blocked off by a forcefield and wasn't able to get to her. Dawn looked, but saw no one. She then felt a cold chill go down her spine. She turned around to see that he was right there. He made the first move by punching her into the face. Dawn rolled backwards into a wall.  
"...Let's play rough..." Don said evily. Dawn got up and pulled out her daggers, and began to charge at him.  
"Okay, you monster! You asked for it! You're gonna get rough!" She retorted. Dawn went into a roll and jumped high into the air, thrusting her daggers right at Corneo. He blocked it immediately and encountered using his magic saying "Total annihilation!" He let out a big white ball of light and it hit Dawn hard, making her practically unable to see from the light and it pushed her up agianst the force-field. She slowly got back up and went at him again, this time going fast and using her "Cannon Drill!!" where here whole body spinned fast and drilled right into Corneo. He flew backwards, falling hard to the ground. She then had a follow-up with her "Fatal Leg Twister!!!" The power the surged through her body arose and took fast action. She kept coming in and punching and kicking him as hard as she could. Blood spilled everywhere. Matt watched from the outside, fearing for Dawn's life was at stake. Corneo was ticked now. He came at Dawn and began to hit her hard. He then pulled out a knife and stuck it in Dawn's side unexpectedly.  
They were all silent in horror. Don pulled out the knife and Dawn fell down to the ground, now helpless. Tears formed in Matt's eyes.  
"Noooo--oooo!!!!!!" He cried out. The evil grin that Corneo had spread across his face. He let the forcefield die down and the first person he looked at was T.K and Kari.  
"That's one pathetic loser out of the way....now for the rest..." He smiled. Just as he was about take out T.K and Kari, he felt a sharp pain of hot fire. Corneo held his back in endless pain. He turned around in serious anger to see that Dawn was standing weak, with her hands in the air like she were holding a bow and arrow. She panted hard, feeling the pain of her side, but she tried to not mind it.  
"You're still alive?!!" Corneo asked. "You're just like your father, Koaru....strong-willed....but just as him, you will die. I promise you that...."  
"Flame Sniper!!!" She screamed in anger, and let out more arrows of fire at him. One by one, they burned a piece of his body, and he was becoming weaker. She then used her "Angel---Strike!!", causing a huge explosion to occur. When the lights dimmed down, Dawn looked around and found that Corneo was on the ground. He looked down, but he slowly began to get up. Everyone looked surprised.  
"That's not possible...!" Joe exclaimed. Dawn got back into her fighting stance to get ready for another round, but Corneo fell back to the ground, all worn-out, with a something falling out of his pocket. Dawn fell to her knees in exhaustion. She felt like she couldn't do anything. Matt ran up to her and hugged her tightly.  
"Dawn..!" He said. He kissed her passionately on the lips. "Thank God it's over....you scared me tonight, Dawn...don't do this to me again, please..."  
"I'm sorry, Matt." She said as she hugged him. "I want to go home now, Matt..."  
"All right....Let's go home everyone..." Matt said. Just as the whole gang was about to go, Corneo managed to use his last strength to pick up the item he dropped look at it. It was a gun, and it only had one bullet in it. My last chance, he thought. He aimed the gun and pulled the trigger..............BANG!!  
There was a scream and everyone went onto the ground. Matt pulled Dawn down with him to kneel so he could protect her. He held her close to him and then looked up to see if anyone was hurt.  
"Guys? Is everyone okay?" He asked.  
"We're fine..." Sora said.  
"No marks here..." Cody said, feeling relieved.  
"Thank God no one was hurt." Davis added.   
"That's good to hear....You okay, Dawn?" Matt asked, but there was no answer. He unexpectedly looked at his hand from the back of her to notce that there was blood all over it. He looked at her in terror and began to shake her. "Dawn! Wake up! Please Wake up!! Oh my God....We have to get her to the hospital now!! Joe, get 911 on the phone! Dawn, just hang in there....I don't know what I would do without you...! Please....don't do this to me!!!!"  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
Matt sat impatiently in the waiting room with the others, three hours after bringing Dawn into the emergancy room. Everyone was very scared for what was going to happen to her. They feared for her life. Tai walked around back and forth while Mimi, Sora, and Yolei prayed for Dawn's safety. Joe and Cody kept their eye on the clock to see how long they were in there. Izzy tried to get some information from some doctors, but they wouldn't give out her medical condition. Davis and T.K sat next to Matt to comfort him and Kari looked out the window. There was silence between the whole group until Kari broke it.  
"Dawn saved us all..." She said. "She sacrificed herself for us....and for the world.....Dawns' in there because of that Corneo guy...." Kari clenched her fist. "If it weren't for him, Dawn would've been able to live a happier life."  
"I agree with you on that one." Joe replied.  
"Don't give up guys....Dawn has a chance..." T.K said. They were silent again and Mimi broke the it by singing one of Dawn's songs.  
"I hold the light and the darkness in my heart...." She said, beginning the song, and hoping that others would join, and maybe feel better. "trembling while I embrace the shadows moving me apart. I can't give up all the dreams I have chased and my love will come a gain to me with pride."  
"When I look to the sunset...all the colors so beautiful...that the tears fall right down in-to the sea to the ocean of my he-art." Matt continued.  
"Though the brightness of the sun has drifted far away, tomorrow holds, the sunlight of a brand new day for me..I hold the light and the darkness in my heart. Trembling while I embrace the shadows moving me apart and I can't give up all the dreams I have chased. And my love will be there, and will come to me again...with each rising sun, I'll find a future that is mine..." Davis finished. The song was a good song, and it made some of them feel better. Suddenly, Izzy came in with a doctor. Matt stood up quickly to face the doctor.  
"Doctor, how is she? Hows' Dawn?" He asked nervously. The doctor pulled Matt aside from everyone into a corner.  
"You're Matt Takaishi, aren't you?" The doctor asked, and Matt nodded in reply. "About Dawn Tabor.....She lost large amounts of blood with the stabbing, and the bullet was at a very bad position to be at......I'm.....I'm sorry.....She didn't make it through the surgery...."  
Time froze all around for Matt. He felt like his heart had stopped. The information he recieved was repeating in his mind over and over again like a broken record. Matt didn't want to believe it. He shook his head and stood back from the doctor.  
"No....That's not possible! It can't be...!" He replied at the doctor's report.  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Takaishi....I know this must be very difficult....I understand what you're going through..." The doctor said, trying to put his hand on his shoulder, but Matt backed away.   
"No! You have no idea what I'm going through....I just lost my whole world....She meant EVERYTHING to me. I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life!"  
"Mr. Takaishi....Death isn't easy to deal with....especially your first experience of your loved one."  
"Why....Why did she have to die...?? She was a good person....no....she was an angel! And look what the cruel world does to her in repay!" Matt said. Tears were forming and rolled down liked rivers. He just kneeled down and started to bawl out like he had never before. Tai and the rest of the others came up, helped Matt up and asked him what was wrong. Matt explained what was wrong with Dawn and what the final outcome of it was and everyone seemed very shocked. Mimi started crying up a storm. Sora cried softly in Tai's arms and eveyone else cried a little. Matt then looked up at the doctor.  
"Can...Can I see her?" He asked. The doctor nodded his head and lead Matt down the halls, leaving the other digidestined behind. He went into the ER room, where Dawn's body laid, and he walked over to it closely, while the doctor left, knowing he wanted to be with her. He grabbed her hand and put it up against his face to feel her soft hand that no longer moved.  
"Dawn...." He said softly. "You used to be so full of life, and now....you're so cold and still.....This is all my fault....I...I wish there was something I could have done.....I just wish it were me that's dead right now instead of you. It should've been me who took that shot. I know I won't forgive myself for this and you shouldn't either....I was no good to you as a friend and I'm no better being your boyfriend....I wasn't help to you either, and look what happens....(sniff)(wipes tears)I wasn't that great of being your prince in shining armor either. If only I was a better person, you would be alive now.....Now you won't be able to laugh, or cry...or even get angry....not that you ever got angry. And I'll never get to hold you into my arms. I just wanna let you know that, you've been the best thing in my life ever since I've known you....(sniff)I'm sorry that I never really cherished those moments and took them for granted in a sense...I've never stopped loving you, Dawn.....Not one day in my life.....and I never will....okay? And I'll never forget all the great things you've shown me.... You....mean so much to me......(sniff) I want to hear your voice again, Dawn....please.....just once.....damnit....! Why....?(sniff)" Matt then collapsed onto the bed and weeped for Dawn. In everyone's mind, this would be a certain day that the Digidestined will never forget....the day they lost their friend.... 


	4. Part IV

  
~*~*~*~2 weeks after the funeral~*~*~*~  
"You okay?" Tai asked as he and T.K walked into the living room, with Matt sitting at the edge of the bed. He looked so depressed and so sad. "Matt, you haven't said a word all day and you've been couped up in this room the whole time. Do you wanna talk?" He was silent. Tai shook his head and just as he was about to leave, Matt spoke up, "She meant so much to me...." Tai and T.K came back and sat next to him.  
"I never knew that a sweet and innocent girl like her could be so concieved by her own hatred." Matt continued.  
"Matt....Dawn was drawn forcefully into Corneo's grasp. We released her from it and I bet she is grateful. Dawn can rest peacefully." T.K explained.  
"But why did she have to die?? Dawn didn't deserve it! Because we couldn't stand up to him, she paid her own life in order to save us! I just wish that she didn't do it....I wish I never fell in love with her! Why did I?! I'll never hear her voice ever again and I'll never forgive Diamond Records or the Digimon Emperor....EVER!!" Matt said, clenching his fist.  
"You fell in love with Dawn because you cared deeply for her and you said that she was absolutely and amazing person...someone you'd never find in a million years. None of us will hear her voice...Dawn was all of us....Courage, Love, Friendship, Hope, Knoweldge...All the crests are basically what she had that took us a while to understand. She had the Angel crest...the most unique of us all. It fit her so well. We will always remember as angel-winged digidestin and none of us will ever forget it." Tai said. Matt walked into his father's room and opened up a drawer. Tai and T.K followed him in and looked at him in shock when he pulled out a gun.  
"Matt! What the heck are you doing??" Tai asked.  
"I've got nothing to live for anymore....I lost my most precious thing....and now I'm going to meet up with her...." He replied.  
"Whoa! Hang on a second!" T.K shouted. "Are you nuts?!"  
"No....I just don't care about my life....See ya guys on the other side.." He said and just as he was about to pull the trigger, Tai took a swift move in action and forcefully took the gun out of his hand. Tai put the gun in his pocket, while Matt fell onto his knees and buried his face into his hands.  
"Matt....killing yourself is not the way to solve this matter...." Tai began. "As you begin to get older, you know that a lot of hurts never really go away.....This one will definitely be a one to remember....being locked deep within your memory." Matt looked up and all of a sudden, he saw something sparkling in his room. He got up and walked over to it with T.K and Tai following, feeling confused. Matt turned on his light in his room and went over to his bookshelf. There, he found Dawn's locket. He took it into his hands and held them close to him. How did this get in here? He thought. I coulda sworn Dawn had it.... He then dropped to his knees, feeling like tears were going to burst out.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Back to the Present*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Matt..." Tony said as he put his hand on Matt's shoulder. "Do you even know where you got the locket?" He shook his head.  
"I still don't know...." Matt replied.  
"...And Dawn had it on her when she died, didn't she?" Tai asked. "I think I remember it being there."  
"That's what I thought....I kinda believe that Dawn sent it to me, but that's what I would like to believe."  
"So, where is it?" Darien asked. Matt pulled the locket from under his shirt and showed everyone. They all awed at it in surprise.  
"Wow....What a story....Was she really a powerful ancient?"  
"Everything you heard from beginning to end was the truth." Tai said. "I would happen to be the witness to most of that stuff."  
"Do you think that you might see her again, Matt?" Darien questioned.  
"....Maybe....I just wish I could see her for one night and that would just make me the happiest man alive....but I suppose one night still isn't enough. An eternity would be better for me....I think Dawn has been watching over me like a guardian angel. As much as everything collapsed after her death, things began to turn up good and it was like I was able to start over....but this time, it was going to be without Dawn. I don't ever want to remember the way Dawn passed away....I only think about her as being on a vacation...and I'd go visit one of these days."  
"Matt....She must of been a good friend.....she made a lot of sacrifices in order to save you guys. You guys try to save her, and she just ends up saving you all....right?"  
"That's right..." Tai replied, lowering his head. "She had a good heart....But..." He said when his sad face turned into a small grin. "She was stubborn at times....I remember how she always did things when they needed them to be done, even if no asked her, and she goes beyond it....Once she made up her mind, that was it. Dawn had always put her heart before her own life....that was her only real weakness...." 


End file.
